United We Stand, Divided We Fall
by Scandinavian Sensation
Summary: When Mina accidentally overhears All Might confess the origins of One-For-All to Izuku, she becomes entwined in the heavy destiny that awaits the new Symbol of Peace. Nobody said it would be easy, but she knows it isn't right for him to face it alone.
1. 1: Secrets Revealed

**Disclaimer: This is the only time I'll say it, because it won't change; I do not own Boku no Hero Academia, nor do I have any profit being made from these fan-works.**

 _ **Sorry about being gone for so long. I'm currently working on all the chapters toward everything, but in the meantime, there was something I wanted to start. This isn't going to be a long story, unless something changes, but it's just something I want to write in the meantime. As for my absence... well, my ex-girlfriend was seeing someone else while she was with me, so I haven't really felt motivated to write, and I apologize for that. I shouldn't let that stop me, but ultimately, I wasn't in the best place, so excuse my absence.**_

 _ **That being said, moving on. This, like all my stories, has a bit of darkness to it, but will also hold some light. It'll take place just after the Stain Arc, and deals with the explanation of All-For-One, and One-For-All. I'll be taking liberties, but if you aren't up to date with the manga, it might be important to note that there may be spoilers upcoming.**_

 _ **Otherwise, this is a MinaxDeku fic. Weird, because I love Uraraka, but I have plans for this, so... without further wait, let's begin!**_

* * *

Chapter 1

 _A Twisted Destiny_

When the afternoon bell rang across campus, Mina Ashido thought she'd be walking with her friends to the train station, laughing about the rescue exercise they'd all had to perform in, and rubbing it in Kaminari's face that he was one of the least mobile heroes in the class. She figured she'd be making plans to grab some sweets with everyone sometime later, before the midterm exams began hanging over her head, since she knew that her grades could use a _little_ improvement. They weren't terrible... well, that was a lie. They _were_ terrible. She wasn't exactly staying afloat, and her parents would probably be fairly unhappy when they found out.

Instead of doing all of that - like she planned - she found herself frowning, groaning, and almost dragging herself toward the Teacher's Lounge, in order to talk about her poor performance on the latest English test, curtesy of Present Mic. While their loud-mouthed teacher was typically relaxed, he had been fairly annoyed when her grade was the lowest in the class; not that she knew why, of course. She'd... _tried_ to study. It wasn't her fault the language was so difficult! There were several ways to spell and pronounce every word!

She sighed heavily and pulled herself up the stairs, eying the numbers of each lounge carefully - lest she want to accidentally intrude on Mr. Aizawa and be forced to have a second teacher breathing down her neck. He was doing enough of that as it was, despite his cool exterior, and she _really_ didn't need to add to it if he found out about her latest grade.

Her stomach gurgled quietly, drawing a pink hand to the offending area, and eliciting a soft groan from the pink-haired girl. She hadn't had time to eat much lunch, as she'd been too distracted by trying to frantically finish up a homework assignment that was due for Mathematics. It was reluctant, but she was beginning to think she'd need to desperately change around her priorities. While she _loved_ watching movies and hanging out with friends, it was slowly becoming clear that this school was no middle school, and that she couldn't just idly by like she had in the past. It wasn't a matter of intelligence, either. She knew she was capable of knowing everything - after all, she _had_ passed the written exam to be selected for the heroic department.

She just needed to try a little harder.

A familiar number brought her out of her mulling as she reached forward to open the door, but paused when she heard a familiar voice.

"T-then don't tell me, the h-hero killer has One-For-All now...?!"

Ashido came to a screeching halt; she recognized that voice. The panic, mixed with the pitch... there was no mistaking it... that voice belonged to Midoriya - the Class 1-A mystery. But what was he freaking out about now?

It was hardly a mystery that Midoriya was a bit of a spaz. He got scared over the simplest of things, he could hardly make it through a sentence without stumbling through his words, he had _no_ ability to maintain eye-contact when he wasn't talking about heroics, and he was known as a hero fanatic. But... Ashido wasn't one of aimless gossip - she _knew_ he was better than those trivial things. He was strong. His analytics in battle made him a rather dangerous opponent, second only to his inhumane strength and speed.

Watching him fight Todoroki was terrifying for several reasons. One, he was willing to break his bones to win.

But two; he was smart. He seemed to know what Todoroki was going to do before he even reacted. It was the same with his first fight against Bakugou - who would later establish himself amongst the top of the class in combat-related skills. Midoriya was smart - in both the book sense, and the combat sense. And when you put together brain and brawn, it made for a rather formidable combination.

She'd been impressed with his fighting skills, and while she didn't really fawn over it too much, his personal growth was something even more remarkable than his initial abilities. Today was a perfect example! He'd gone from someone who shattered his limbs, one-by-one, to leaping through an obstacle race with the speed of Iida, and the precision of Sero - all while keeping his limbs intact! It was like he was a totally new person!

That _excited_ Ashido. It also made her a _tad_ self-conscious about the developing gap between her and the top of the class, but she did her best to ignore it. After all; it wouldn't stay that way. She could close the gap. She just needed to apply herself.

The subtle musings of a man drew Mina back from her thoughts, though his voice was too low to hear without straining. An idea popped into the pink-skinned girl's brain, though her conscious immediately protested. _Why not just spy?_

 _'No_ ,' she said to herself. ' _No hero would be caught eavesdropping_.'

But, as she peeked behind her, and saw nobody coming, she found herself gently sneaking up closer to the door, to her left - one away from the room she needed to be in- trying desperately to hear closer to the conversation, so she could better understand Midoriya's freakout. After all, if he was in danger, wasn't it her job to save him? That was what heroes did. So, in a weird way, she was just looking out for him.

"... cannot be transferred unless the bearer wishes it. It cannot be stolen by force."

 _'Transferred...? Stolen...? What?'_

None of it made sense. She didn't even recognize the man's voice - though, whoever he was, he somehow had significance to Midoriya.

In the back of her head, Mina knew she should leave. It wasn't right to eavesdrop. She was clearly violating Midoriya's privacy... and she would definitely be annoyed if she found out someone was eavesdropping on her. But... something drew her in like a moth to a flame. Maybe it was his mysterious history, or maybe it was the confusing nature of his quirk... maybe it was even _him_.

No matter the reason, she found herself practically against the door, practically holding her breath as the man spoke again.

"... a special quirk."

Mina cursed; the man's voice was too soft for her to clearly hear him speak. Whether he was doing this on purpose or not, that remained to be seen. Another pang of guilt ran through her heart as she delicately took a step backward, the afternoon sun basking her in a golden light as it cascaded through the hall window. She knew how dangerous this was. If she was found... she would be in a lot of trouble.

But Midoriya's nature - the nature of his quirk, of his unknown origin - it just _called_ to her. He was never open with any of the rest of the class. Even Uraraka and Iida had no clue as to what his history was like. Only Bakugou seemed to have an idea... and that idea was not a very positive one.

 _"Quirkless bastard!"_

How many times had Bakugou called Midoriya quirkless? How many times had an angry tic appeared on his face whenever someone casually brought up Midoriya's quirk in class discussion, or when they were all spectating an exercise, and he began to wield it? It wasn't just a passing whim that the explosion-user called him quirkless - it seemed much more than that. Ashido's fist clenched.

She had to know more.

"One-For-All was derived from a certain quirk that existed in the past."

"A quirk that..." Midoriya's voice was much quieter; whether from being scolded, or the surprise having faded, Ashido couldn't tell. But she frowned as she struggled to hear her classmate speak. He was known for being soft-spoken, though this was one occasion that she wished he wasn't.

The man began to speak again, his voice slowly picking up volume. In the back of her mind, she felt like she recognized that voice. It was... deep, almost _familiar_ , but she just couldn't put her finger on it. "The name of that quirk was All-For-One. A quirk that could steal quirks from others and make them the holder's, and one that could give those quirks to others."

"W-wha...?" Mina mumbled, her eyes growing in size, until they were nearly the size of dinner plates.

A quirk that could take away someone's quirk...? And then give it to someone else? Did something like that really exist?

Ashido knew she shouldn't be that surprised. After all; the world was a very big place... with quirks beginning to travel through multiple generations, certain quirks were beginning to manifest that had no correlation to the quirks from the parents. Mina's, for example, was of no relation. Her mother's was very basic - she could alter the pH of anything she touched, though it wasn't a drastic alteration. Her father, on the other hand, had horns, though they weren't really controllable or anything. Her parents were perfect examples of people that had simple, casual quirks, and then she was an anomaly.

Mina realized she'd been too caught in thought, having drifted away from the door, and was missing the explanation. She quickly got back into position, though now she was much more interested in the mysterious quirk-stealing quirk, and who this man even was.

"... what made someone a normal human crumbled away. With just that, laws lost their meaning, and the progress of civilization stopped. It was literal decay."

"'If superpowers never existed, then humans would be taking interstellar holidays by now.' Someone important said that in the past." Midoriya's voice was still soft, but the tone was something that Mina hadn't really heard him use. It was... calm, but ominous. Thoughtful, but almost reluctant. He didn't stutter once, and it seemed like he was at peace, despite the conversation's growing gravity.

The man spoke again. "That's right. During that chaotic period, there was someone who was the first to unify all people." A pit of dread grew in Ashido's stomach as she had a feeling she knew what the man was going to have. "I'm sure you've also heard of him. He stole quirks from people, and with his overwhelming power, he spread his influence. He moved people in a calculating way, committing evil acts to a heart's content. In the blink of an eye, he became the leader of evildoers, and ruled over Japan."

A shaky hand made its way to Mina's slightly gaping mouth, and she covered it as tightly as she could, trying her best to manage her racing breathing. To say she was lost was an understatement.

 _'Who is this man... how does he know so much...? What are they even... talking about? A man that ruled... when quirks first appeared? One who can steal quirks? Can this even be real?'_

It was a lot. And if it really was Midoriya in there - which, she practically had no doubt it was - then why was he not... freaking out?! He, of all people, should have been losing his mind the most! But yet, he wasn't. If anything, he was more composed than she'd ever seen him!

"I... often see rumors about this online." Ashido paused. That made sense. He was a hero geek... maybe he'd just heard these rumors before...? But even then... to find out it was true? Midoriya spoke again, shattering Mina's thoughts. "But, isn't this fabrication? It isn't in the textbooks, or anything."

To hear him have his own doubt was a bit reassuring, even if it was far more controlled than her raging thoughts.

"They can't put secret dealings in textbooks, can they? If people get powers, they look for places to use them."

There was a sharp intake of breath - presumable from Midoriya, and a slight shuffling. Then, Midoriya spoke, and Mina was reminded of the topic that had first caught her attention.

"How does this relate to One-For-All?"

There it was again. One-For-All. Was that a quirk? Was that Midoriya's quirk? It didn't really imply much from the title; nobody would guess it was a strength enhancing quirk, so why would he name it so... cryptically? When she'd picked the name Acid, it was because it was simple, straight-forward, and easy to say. It got the point across, unless she wanted people assuming her quirk was like, Pink-Skin, or something ridiculous that appealed to her appearance and horns.

"I said that All-For-One could give quirks to others, right?" Mina's heart began to race. Was he implying...? "He made others trust him or surrender to him by giving them quirks. But apparently, there were many given quirks who could not bear the burden, and became living dolls that couldn't speak. Just like the Nomus."

Repressed memories of the gigantic purple monster came flooding back, and Ashido had to actively replace hissing as she recalled its grotesque form, serrated teeth, lifeless eyes... how terrifying strong it was. She had come to U.A. to become a hero - and she'd stood up to a villain before, though it wasn't a fight she'd been locked into - but seeing that monstrosity, even from a distance, etched fear into her heart. She hadn't been able to sleep well for a week, thinking about how close she and her new friends had come to dying. And that giant purple 'Nomu' had been the center of that fear.

When three more had attacked Hosu's downtown district, she was ashamed to admit she was _glad_ she hadn't been there. While police accounts stated they were nowhere as physically capable, the fact remained that their appearance was simply... terrifying to look at, and she still hadn't exactly come to terms with fricken' All Might nearly dying at its hands.

Her stomach lurched; this man that could take and give quirks... was he responsible for the Nomu's they'd encountered?

 _'That's impossibe - he'd have to be dead by now! This was... at least two or three generations ago!'_

"...small and sickly, but he had a strong sense of justice." Mina faintly registered that the man was talking again, so she swallowed a wad of saliva, and tried to ignore the fear that churned uncomfortably in her stomach, which was growing larger by the second. "It pained him to see his older brother's deeds, so he kept resisting him. He forced a quirk that could stock power onto his younger brother. At this point, it's kind of impossible to know if that it was out of kindness, or to force him into submission."

"Don't tell me..." It was barely above a whisper, but the world seemed to stop moving, and the deafening silence that fell upon the school made Midoriya's words so much louder than they intended to be.

"Yeah," The man said ominously. "He was thought to be quirkless, but there was something else inside of him. Something that neither he himself nor those around him noticed. He had a useless quirk that could pass on quirks!"

Ashido felt her breath hitch as the man's words grew louder.

"The quirk to stock power, mixed with the quirk to pass on other quirks. That was the origin of One-For-All!" Midoriya's gasped, and Mina couldn't blame him. She was... beyond flabbergasted, at this point. This almost seemed like a weird dream. "Ironic... that justice always comes from evil."

"Hey, wai- I understand how that came about, but why... are you bringing up an evildoer from so long ago now?"

 _That_ was the real question, wasn't it? It wasn't Ashido's first question, but after hearing the story... it was one of her primary questions. Sure, his power sounded terrifying... and he definitely sounded like he could create those Nomus, but after such a long time, surely he would have died? Unless...

"He can steal quirks, you know. Anything goes. A quirk to stop aging... he probably stole something like that. The Symbol of Evil was pretty much immortal... with the huge difference in their combat abilities, and the state of the society at the time, the defeated younger brother decided to entrust his quirk to future generations. He believed that even if he couldn't win then, if he slowly cultivated the power, then one day, it would become strong enough to stop his older brother. And then, when it was my turn, I was finally able to defeat him! At least... that's what I thought, but he survived, and has started moving again as the brains of the League of Villains."

The man sighed, and his voice became more distance, but it was still audible. "One-For-All is power inherited to defeat All-For-One, so to speak. You may have to fight against this great evil... this is harsh on you, but-"

"I'll do my best!" Midoriya said firmly. "I'll do whatever you ask of me, no matter what it is! As long as you're with me, I can do anything! That's what it feels like!"

Ashido staggered backward, no longer able to listen to anything further. She'd heard... too much. Far, far too much. She wasn't meant to hear _any_ of that. This was more than just accidentally hearing about two friends dating in secret, or some scandalous little rumor being true. This was more than hearing that your friend was talking bad things behind your back... this was... literally Earth-shattering.

Her heart was racing, threatening to beat straight out her chest, and the pink-skinned girl wouldn't have been surprised if her uniform couldn't conceal the organ pushing against her chest. The angry churning had came to a halt, replaced with a blanket of nausea that was associated with... _fear_. She was afraid. The things she'd heard... they weren't normal.

Bakugou had been right. Midoriya _was_ quirkless. This... this man - whoever he was - had passed on his quirk to him. One-For-All. Midoriya, the sweet, innocent-looking, nervous-but-heroic classmate that she barely knew, was being assigned the task of trying to defeat what was possibly the world's most sinister evildoer in the history of evildoers... and he was completely okay with that.

He was literally being groomed for... a single fight. He was _training_ for a single fight. One single fight - the winner lives, the loser dies. And he, of _all_ people, said he was willing to do whatever he needed to.

It was too much. He was given the purpose of what sounded like a suicide mission! How was he okay with that?! How... how was that _fair_?!

 _Why_ was he okay with that?! He wasn't doing it for the glory - he _hated_ attention. He certainly wasn't doing it because he enjoyed fighting. Was the only thing that compelled him... his sense of justice? Was that the only thing that drove him to such lengths? A pure heart?

Mina felt a tear come to her eye, and she aggressively brushed it away. She wasn't sure if it was fear from learning... everything, or maybe it was frustration that a guy as young and innocent as Midoriya, was tasked with the immense burden of having to end the reign of Japan's greatest threat (something NOBDOY else had managed to stop, over several generations).

She wanted to take a seat, and breath. She wanted to possibly wake up, and discover everything she'd heard was just a dream, and that in the morning, she'd come to school and nothing would be any different. But she knew that was unlikely. It all made too much sense.

Rumor had it that Midoriya was a 'late-bloomer', as he'd mumbled. Aizawa was very direct in his desire to have Midoriya learn to harness his immense power, lest the teen want to live with shattered bones for the rest of his life. For someone to be in High School, and _not_ have control of their quirk was rather insane, but now it all made sense. It wasn't his quirk originally. He had no idea how to use it, because up until receiving it, he hadn't even had a quirk.

Bakugou wasn't lying. He hadn't been wrong about Midoriya being quirkless. It all made... so much more sense. And... All Might?

Mina frowned. How did All Might play into this? All they had were similar qui -

The pink girl actually felt herself beginning to faint. It was outlandish. It was _impossible_.

The reason the man's voice seemed so familiar... the reason he'd been so insistent on Midoriya's growth, and seemed to watch him more carefully than any other student... the reason Midoriya had broken his body, in an effort to protect All Might during the USJ Raid, according to Kirishima, was all because...

All Might was Midoriya's predecessor.

Before she knew it, her vision turned dark, and she was on the ground in a heap.


	2. 2: Where Do I Stand?

When Mina woke up, she was vaguely aware of the hushed argument that was going on just a few feet from where she was laying, though she didn't quite know _where_ she even was. The bed - at least, she assumed it was a bed - was firm, yet comfortable enough to allow a wave of drowsiness to wash over her, while the smell of antiseptics faintly hung in the air, causing her to scrunch up her nose as the bitter smell wafted around her.

"... you're too stubborn, Toshinori! Be gone, unless you _want_ the girl to see this form!

There was the sound of someone sucking air through their teeth before silence, and then a resigned sighed after a moment of silent contemplation. "Okay. Let me know if her family needs anything."

"Of course." Mina recognized the second voice as Recovery Girl, not that she was very familiar with the elderly nurse as say, Midoriya. Her voice was much softer this time, lacking the challenging edge it had before. "She's fine, I tell you. Just a minor laceration to her scalp, and I already fixed that up manually. Once she's awake, I'll have her out of here in no time."

The voice seemed satisfied with the nurse's explanation, and after a moment, there was a soft click as the door closed, signaling at least one person's departure. Mina debated between opening her eyes and keeping them closed for at least a few more minutes - she didn't want to come across as suspicious.

Plus, she hadn't even really reflected on _anything_ yet.

The flood of information came rushing back as Mina laid in the bed, various words making her stomach lurch as she recalled the overwhelming amount of information she'd overheard. To be honest, even though she knew she had heard it, part of her wondered if it had just been a weird dream. After all... she couldn't imagine half of it being true! It was just... too far-fetched! Like a fantasy tale, straight from a manga or something.

A loud rumble from her stomach forced her to give up on her possum act, drawing her hands to the protesting organ and eliciting a faint groan to escape her lips. At this, Ashido decided to peek her eye open, and came nearly face-to-face with the elderly looking nurse, drawing a sharp, surprised yelp from the pink-skinned girl. Since she was unable to back up, she simply scooted up the bed as high as she could.

"Ah, you're awake. Good, good, how do you feel?"

Mina blinked. "Ah, good. What happened?"

"You fainted; thankfully, you were found pretty fast when you hit the ground. You only had a little cut on your head, which I glued shut. Now that you're awake, I can heal you properly." Recovery Girl then held out her hand, and with a granny-like smile, she opened it to reveal several little gummy-snacks. "Gummy?"

Without hesitation, Mina snatched the little snacks and stuffed them into her mouth, cherishing the taste, even if it wasn't much. Recovery Girl smiled good-naturedly, and repositioned her chair so that she was above Mina's head, before parting the unkempt curls of her pink hair, and taking a peek at the wound.

"Good, it looks very good. You shouldn't feel that tired, but you might feel a little light-headed, so take it easy, okay?" Before Mina had a chance to respond, she felt something mildly damp press into her head, and suddenly, it felt like she'd just binge-watched an entire movie series overnight, as her eyes drooped and a yawn forced its way from her lips.

She was vaguely aware of Recovery Girl lowering her chair so that she was back on eye-level, and she hopped off the chair, with her cane in hand, before walking over to a mini-fridge. She opened it and clattered around, before coming free with a small plate with what looked to be chilled okra... one of Mina's favorite foods. The fatigue she felt seemed to ebb away at the prospect of _real_ enticing food, and her stomach grumbled in response to simply seeing her favorite food.

"Where did _that_ come from?"

Recovery Girl smiled. "Izuku Midoriya is the one who found you. Needless to say, that erratic boy was worried senseless about seeing you out cold, so after we contacted your parents, he requested that I ask them your favorite food. I didn't pry too much, poor lad was practically short-circuiting just at asking in the first place."

It was slightly unexpected; after all, the interactions between her and Izuku were... slim, at best. Sure, she thought his fight against Todoroki was _awesome_ (if not a little scary), and his dodging in his first fight against Bakugou had been pretty impressive (she appreciated the little things), but other than that, they hadn't personally interacted. At least, _she_ didn't think they had. Maybe, in his mind, they did?

But even then, he was a nervous wreck at least 9 out of 10 times. For him to get her food...

Despite herself, a very faint blush crossed her face, spreading across her cheeks and warming her face. Had there been any particular reason he decided to do something like that? It was rather... bold, at least, for someone like him. It would've even been a little odd - if, of course, it hadn't been him. But she knew he was as sweet as he was innocent.

"You should eat while I reach out to your parents, again." Recovery Girl then placed the food in front of Mina, and gestured toward it. "Go on, eat!"

The acid-user wasted no time, ravenously digging into her food, whilst still trying to maintain as much dignity as she could. She didn't quite recognize the taste of any particular restaurant, so she decided he must have contacted either a local place, or a place he knew about from personal experience. He didn't quite seem like the type of person to have a close connection to any food joints, though, so she was leaning more toward a random, but local stop.

As she ate - and Recovery Girl spoke to her parents - Mina took a moment to consider what her next course of action should be. Ordinarily, she would just go with whatever felt right, and let the consequences occur as they were meant to - but in this particular instance, she wasn't quite sure if that was a good idea, considering the sensitivity of the information. Midoriya, for lack of a better term, was _completely_ in the dark about her knowledge... and, for that matter, she wasn't exactly sure how much she really knew.

Was All Might the man she'd heard talking? It made sense, theoretically, but... any semblance of sense had already been thrown out the window. She wasn't sure how far logic would get her in this case.

Furthermore, _how_ did she even convene that she knew? It was clear as crystal that All Might - assuming it was All Might, since she had no other leads to go from - didn't want anyone knowing, considering she'd never even known of a transferable quirk. In fact, she wasn't really sure if he'd ever told the press about his quirk. He usually averted the question with a well-timed laugh. It hadn't really resonated with her in the past because she'd never been that enthralled by his quirk - she just thought he was awesome, and that was all there was to it.

But since he _might_ have had a quirk he could pass on, and he _might_ have given it to Midoriya, she wasn't sure how to just... bring it up. And she _did_ have to bring it up. She couldn't just sit on that knowledge - the guilt would eat her alive. Hell, it was already eating her alive!

"... very well, thank you for your patience. I'll ask her now." With a blink, Mina realized that Recovery Girl had set the phone to the side, and peered over in her direction. "Do you feel well enough to take the train home?"

"H-huh? Oh! Yeah!" She casually waved her hand. "I feel great! No problem!"

The elderly nurse gazed at her for a stern moment, but relented, and went back to the call. "She insists she's okay. I... yes, I believe she is well enough to walk to the station. Even so, she has a friend here who wouldn't mind walking with her."

Mina's attention perked. _A visitor?_

"Mhm. Okay, I'll send her home now; let me know if you have any questions, okay? Have a good evening, Mr. Ashido." With a click, the phone was back in the holster, and Recovery Girl seemed pleased with the exchange. Mina, however, couldn't contain her curiosity, and blurted the question on her mind before she could even consider what she was doing.

"Who's here?"

With a sly smile, Recovery Girl removed the now empty tray from the bed, and gestured out the door. "I think you know."

Standing up, Mina ignored the sudden black dots that danced across her vision, as well as the sudden lightheadedness that descended upon her skull, drawing her hand to her temple in a feeble attempt to ward off the disorienting feeling. Recovery Girl simply supported her leg with one hand, and the feeling began to fade as she became adjusted to standing. The duo walked toward the door - Mina a bit more wobbly than she'd care to admit - and opened it, revealing one green-haired teenager sitting on the chair, his notebook in his lap as he furiously scribbled away.

As if realizing he was being watched, he slowly looked up, and turned red, stuffing the notebook back into his backpack with haste and an embarrassed expression. "A-ah, s-sorry! I was a b-bit distracted!"

"Midoriya? What are you doing here?" Ashido asked, trying to keep the surprise from her voice. He rubbed the back of his head, a faint red blush still splashed across his freckled cheeks.

"W-well, I couldn't just leave you? S-so, I decided to s-stay until you were okay." He then became a bit more conscious of his decision, as if saying it aloud changed its impact. "U-unless you didn't want me to stay! T-then I'm sorry!"

Mina had to stifle a giggle. Really, he was worried about the simplest of things. "It's fine, Midoriya. I really appreciate it."

He smiled awkwardly, before hoisting his backpack onto his shoulders and prepping himself to leave. By his feet, Mina recognized her own bag, and graciously accepted it from him with a wide smile. "Wow, did you do my homework, too?"

"W-what? No, I-"

"I'm kidding, jeez!" Ashido said with a light-hearted laugh. She hadn't really known what she was expecting, but so far, she was pleasantly surprised in talking to him. His reactions were just a bit too amusing for her. "But it would've been a nice gesture..."

He frowned. "I-I mean... I g-guess I..."

"Kidding, dude!" Recognizing Recovery Girl was patiently waiting, Mina suddenly realized they were probably just intruding at this point, so she eagerly began to step down the hall, grabbing Midoriya's arm and pulling him forward in a protesting mess. "C'mon, let's get to the station before tomorrow, hmm?"

"Be careful, young lady! I don't want to see you become a regular - I already have enough of those!" Midoriya seemed to shrink under the nurse's stern gaze, but offered her a timid wave, which she returned with amusement.

Mina whistled lowly. "I think she might have it out for you."

"Y-you... might be right..." Izuku sighed.

The two traversed through the now-empty halls of U.A., the fading sunlight casting a deep golden glow upon the lockers and empty classrooms, seemingly aging the building by several years. It hadn't even occurred to Mina to ask how long she'd been out for, but judging by the sun's position, it hadn't been more than an hour.

"O-oh! I forgot! Present Mic said not to worry about meeting him... he didn't really go into specifics, but he asked me to let you know!"

Mina sighed contently; it was just one more crisis averted, it seemed. Admittedly, she'd pretty much all-but-forgotten about the small conference he had called her for, especially with everything that had been on her mind. Her little fainting spell had only made things a little more complicated.

And now, walking with Midoriya, the thoughts came slowly drifting back. All the unanswered questions that sat heavily on her mind, just _begging_ to be asked. She could feel the temptation biting at her tongue, but she did all she could to squash the feeling - it hadn't even been a day yet! She couldn't cave that fast!

When they turned onto the sidewalk that would lead them straight to the station, she snuck a peek over at her companion. His uniform, ever immaculate and well-kept, seemed a bit loose on his body - something she hadn't quite noticed before. Because of that, he appeared smaller than he really was, the sleeves rolling over his wrists and almost extending past his knuckles. They hung on his shoulders almost loosely, but somehow, it still fit somewhat well around that part of him, at least.

His pants were no better, and almost rolled under his shoe with each step he took, and she found herself being reminded of how young he really was. He was only... what, 15? 16? Too young to have a life-threatening destiny weighing upon his shoulders.

But, somehow... he looked at _peace._ His emerald eyes - vibrant, lively and warm - seemed to glisten in the glowing sunset, shimmering with a jovial tint that just screamed out, _'I'm happy!'_. Maybe it was because of his usual timid visage, but the way he was now, he seemed much... nicer to look at. Not that she believed he wasn't before, but the relaxation that had settled over his freckled face gave him a much happier expression, and really brought out that infectious innocence that only he could have. She might have dared to call him plain-looking on any other day. But right now... he looked... cute.

She almost tripped over her feet.

 _Cute?_

 _Where in the world had that come from?_

"A-Ashido?" Mina became aware of her staring, and quickly averted her gaze, trying to avoid any heat coming to her face. She almost cursed - she wasn't this easily embarrassed! So why had she blushed so much? "A-are you okay?"

"Yep, I'm great! I got a new walking-buddy; I couldn't be better!" She wasn't lying, either. Truthfully, she wasn't really sure what she thought or felt. She was conflicted. This whole ordeal was giving her one massive migraine. She didn't want to lie to him, but it was clear that she couldn't be honest - at least, not yet. There was a time and place for that.

As she took another peek at him, catching the poorly masked concern that highlighted his face, she realized that he knew _exactly_ what she was going through. He was an honest kid - at least, from what she'd seen of him. He was very straight-forward and truthful, and whatever bad bones were made of, he obviously lacked in spades. He was everything that exemplified a hero. Everyone in Class 1-A would attest to that.

But it was because of that fact, which made her realize the truly difficult position he was in. This whole time - likely, since before starting U.A. in the first place - he was having to _lie_ and hide things about himself, in order to protect a secret that was significantly more ancient that Ashido had thought possible. The uncomfortable look that constantly settled on his face whenever someone would bring up his quirk was a testament to the gnawing guilt he was probably feeling, and suddenly, she felt _bad_ for letting everyone hound him, even though she'd had no idea. All those times someone had called his quirk similar to All Might's...

If the situation had been a little lighter, she might have snorted. Her classmates were hitting the nail right on the head, and they didn't even know it.

"A-Alright..." Midoriya trailed off awkwardly, unable to come up with anything else to say. Their walk had been rather uneventful in words, but for both teens, it was an accommodation process. Mina's infectious energy and jovial mood were reasons people got along with her, but with her mind plunged so deep in thought, she was having a difficult time being the chatter-box she usually was. "D-do you come this way often?"

Ashido was surprised; Midoriya was actually trying to instigate a conversation... willingly? She smiled widely, shaking off her surprise. "Yeah! Well, sometimes I go out with a few of our classmates, but this is where I always end up at the end of the day!"

Midoriya nodded with a small smile, accepting the answer, and the duo settled back into a more comfortable silence.

"Hey, Midoriya?" The green-haired boy looked over at her. "How'd you know what food to get me?"

The quirk-inheritor blushed a deep red, and stopped walked, flailing his arms widely in a frantic attempt to ward off any possible projectiles? Mina wasn't really sure, she just giggled and stopped with him, folding her arms behind her head and jostling her unruly hair. "W-w-well, I-" He groaned, unable to compose himself enough for an answer - which, internally amused the pink girl.

He sighed. "I, uh, I-I asked Recovery Girl... w-when she was on the phone with your p-parents." He didn't make eye-contact with her, probably from the fear etched into his features, instead, opting to look around their surroundings and find interest in pretty much anything that wasn't her gaze. She didn't take offense though - she knew his habits. At least, kind of. "I-I know you didn't eat at lunch... y-you looked r-really busy."

Mina's eyebrow raised. "Oh~ _spying_ on me?"

"W-WHAT?! N-n-no! I...!" He trailed off as he heard a giggle escape from her mouth, and he dragged his eyes over to her form. She couldn't keep the amusement from her expression - he was just too fun to tease! "I-Iida was making a scene about it... I think he t-thought you were copying homework, or something..."

 _That_ made sense. She hadn't even thought about Iida and his helicopter-like tendencies when it came to abiding by the rules. Kaminari was _supposed_ to be her lookout, but as the tales of the tape went, he had also forgotten to do his homework, so he had been right alongside her, frantically scribbling down everything he could. They'd been too caught up in their race that they hadn't even stopped to consider if Iida had noticed.

But then... why hadn't he come over?

As if sensing her confusion, Midoriya weakly smiled and rubbed his upper arm, near the bicep. "Mineta ended up drawing his ire first, though."

"I guess that little slime-ball is good for something," Mina mumbled. She wouldn't ever say it aloud, but for once in her life, she was actually thankful for the purple-haired leech's frustrating antics. As long, of course, as they weren't directed at her or her friends. She turned her attention back to Midoriya, and resumed walking in pace with her. "But that doesn't explain why you got me the food."

"O-oh, w-well... I figured... y-you could use it. Missing lunch for class isn't really fair, a-and I know how Recovery Girl's quirk works, so..." Midoriya smiled bashfully, eliciting a laugh from the acid-wielding teen.

Desperate to show her thanks, she scooted a step closer to Midoriya - their shoulder were practically touching at this point - and leaned her head in, nearly poking him with her horns, forcing him to move his neck a bit to avoid the dull ends. She giggled at his flustered reaction, and thanked him, which he awkwardly waved off, before she reverted back to her regular spot. She hadn't thought much of the close contact, but judging by the splash of red that stubbornly lingered on his cheeks, it was clear he was a bit more impacted than she was. It only made her want to do it more.

 _Before it's too late..._

Despite her forward steps, her brain stopped working.

 _... What?!_

 _WHERE_ had that come from?

It was one thing to absentmindedly think of Midoriya as cute - with his child-like innocence, emotional emerald eyes and perky smile, he _was_ one of the cuter guys in 1-A - but _that_ thought was significantly off-rail from her usual thoughts. It was terrifying!

But... was it wrong?

"Of course it's wrong..." she muttered, shaking her head to try and rid herself of the thought. She realized she'd spoken aloud and quickly turned to Midoriya to explain herself, only to find that he was staring at the screen of his phone, none-the-wiser. She sighed thankfully, and pushed the ominous thoughts into the furtherest, most isolated corner she could find in her brain. She'd be visiting them later, no doubt, but for now, she refused to acknowledge them. Midoriya wasn't dead.

 _'He isn't going to die.'_

Her mental scolding was put on pause as the duo arrived at the station, a fork in the paths in front of them. Izuku glanced at her, uncertainty on his face, and scratched at his cheek, his trademark awkward smile on his face. "W-well... we're here?"

"I can see that," Ashido teased lightly. Her smile faded as she realized this was the end of their little walk. While she was happy to almost be home... she felt a little sad that their time had come to such an abrupt ending. They hadn't interacted a whole lot, but just his presence was enjoyable - and once she figured out what to do, she wouldn't mind spending more one-on-one time with him, teasing and joking with him. "I suppose you go that way?" she asked, pointing to the path on the right.

He nodded. "Y-yeah." He looked toward her path - which, although went unspoken, it was clear she went to the left - and a flash of indecisiveness rolled across his face. "I-I can walk with you... i-if that's okay?"

Ashido blinked; _did he not want to leave yet?_

She smiled merrily. "Of course!"

It was a feeble attempt at delaying the inevitable; but, she was glad that he offered. They began walking toward Mina's stop, passing by groups of people, completely enthralled by their lives that they didn't pay the duo any attention. Mina was quietly glad- she'd been stopped for her autograph a few times upon coming to the station, and while she never minded, she wasn't sure how Izuku would react.

"So, are we going to hang out, or are you going to pretend this never happened?" Mina asked casually, although a teasing ring hung in her tone, drawing a smile from Midoriya.

"I wouldn't mind h-hanging out," he replied. "B-but... maybe not only because you fainted..."

"Was that a joke?" Mina laughed. "I almost thought it was impossible!"

"I-I can joke!" Izuku protested weakly, but sighed as she quirked an eyebrow in doubt. "I... I'm just not good at it."

She slapped him gently on the back. "If you put as much work into that as you do everything else, you'll be a pro in no time!" She then came a stop in front of her usual train stop, and sighed dejectedly. "Well... this is it."

"Yeah..." A frown touched his lips. "T-that's okay - there's always tomorrow, right?"

Mina perked up; there was always tomorrow. It wasn't like she'd never see him again... maybe, next time...

"You're right," she said, a smile reappearing. "Just don't break yourself before then, okay?"

Before he had a chance to respond, a sudden urge to hug him overtook her, and before she knew it, she'd draped her arms around his body and tugged him close, her head resting on his collarbone as she breathed in his scent. She couldn't pinpoint what it was - _cinnamon? -_ but it filled her nostrils, and she felt her overworked brain settle as she drank it in. He was stiff under her grip, but after a moment or two, she smiled as a pair of arms wrapped around her back and gently returned her squeeze.

She smirked; his hands were significantly higher than they needed to be, and she suspected that was due, in part, to one purple-haired leech.

The release was not mutual - not at all - but it was needed as Mina's train came screeching into the station. The pink girl cheerily waved to her new green-haired friend as she boarded, flashing him a wink and a bright grin. "See you tomorrow, Midoriya!"

"B-bye, Ashido!"

Once the doors were closed, the train was moving, and she was resting against the wall, she sighed heavily, letting her eyes close as a tidal wave of thoughts rushed over her.

He was sweet. He was kind. He was... she stopped to think about it.

 _He was a hero._

It was accurate, although, not quite the description she was looking for. She had felt the gentle flutter of her heart as she'd hugged him - it was part of the reason she'd been so compelled to do so - but she hadn't taken time to consider what she thought about him. That had been the first time she'd extensively talked to him. She'd thoroughly enjoyed it, of course, but she hadn't spent _nearly_ enough time with him to develop any sort of feelings - right?

Besides...

Subconsciously, she clenched her fist.

 _She still had a lot to think about_.

* * *

The ride home was as uneventful as possible - not that Mina had even noticed. She'd been submerged in her own thoughts, desperately trying to stay afloat in the rising waters, despite her insistence that she'd just think about things later. No matter what she tried - apps on her phone, texting classmates, even staring out the window - her thoughts just kept drifting back to Midoriya and All Might. And why wouldn't they?

She still had no leads on her next move.

Her short walk to her house was marked by a slow gait as she endlessly mulled over the information she'd taken in, for what seemed like the twentieth time. By the time she'd opened her door, she was practically seething with anger, _still_ unable to come up with the proper course of action. She nearly slammed the door as she closed it - really, it couldn't be _this_ hard, could it?

"Gah..." She tossed her shoes off at the door, not caring about how they landed on the mat. "What the _hell_...?"

With a growl, she began marching toward the bathroom - maybe a steaming hot shower would help her think?

Just as she passed the kitchen, she caught an eyeful of tan, along with a passing comment. "You seemed stressed."

She paused. _Was she stressed?_

"Yeah, I..." Hesitation clouded her throat, forcing the words back down before she'd had a chance to speak. "... have a lot on my mind."

From the kitchen emerged a man that looked _nothing_ like Mina. He was wearing a plain white dress shirt - likely because he'd only recently gotten home - and his basic black dress pants that Mina had practically associated with his figure. Really, she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him in anything else; not that she was mad, or anything. She understood - in order to provide for their family, he had to work. Plus, he was a caring man who'd given her all the time he could, and she loved him for that.

Her father's frown was far from stern - meaning, he understood it wasn't a trivial topic. A gentle smile touched her lips; as busy as he was, he just... _understood_. He could be away from home for a month, and when it came back, it was like he was never gone in the first place. "You can always talk to your old man."

"You're not old, dad," Mina stressed lightly. Whereas Mina and her mother enjoyed teasing and joking about others, Mina's dad was a little different in the sense that he enjoyed joking about himself. "I don't even see a gray hair."

"Then you're not looking hard enough," he responded, running a hand through his hair. His horns peeked through the auburn locks, one of the only distinguishing features that led people to see the family resemblance. Mina didn't mind - he was her father, regardless of what everyone looked like. "So out with it."

When Mina hesitated, his concern only grew as his frown deepened ever-so-slightly.

It wasn't that she didn't want to tell him - because, of course she wanted to. It was just the same problem she'd been having up until this point.

 _She didn't know what to do._

"Would you like some tea?" He asked softly, drawing her back from her thoughts. Tea sounded... good. Calming.

She smiled graciously. "Yes, please."

Despite his concern, he smiled back and walked into the kitchen, fetching some water. Mina walked over to the dining table, and pulled out a chair, practically throwing herself into it as the day's fatigue began to catch up to her. While the meal had provided her with some energy, she could still feel the lingering effects of Recovery Girl's amazing quirk. And... with that...

A gentle lilac blush tinged her cheeks as she thought back to the source of that food.

"So," Her father began not-so-subtly, patiently standing by, waiting for the water to boil. It was a stark difference between the two Ashido's - Mina's patience was thin, whilst Hiroma Ashido was a much gentler, kinder and patient man. For as large as he was (and, really, he was _gigantic_ ), he was surprisingly soft as a person, which could contradict the look he had going for himself. Horns that could grow fairly large, and such an imposing figure... he could be scary-looking, as far as dads went. "Maybe we could talk about something else..." Mina suddenly had a _very_ rough idea about where the conversation was heading. "... like, what happened today?"

She almost wanted to laugh - he had no idea how much of a failure that conversation switcher had been. His intension was nice, but he also had no idea how similar those two topics were.

Still; she'd indulge him. As much as she could. "Just, y'know, school-stuff. Heroics. All that jazz."

"And you fainted because... you wanted to test yourself?"

"It was... an accident?"

"Oh, good," Hiroma said casually. A small stream of steam called him back over to the tea, drawing him to remove the kettle begin pouring the scalding water into a cup, along with some leaves. Mina silently hoped she could find some sugar - she _hated_ bitter tasting things... maybe it had something to do with her quirk, but her sweet tooth was insane. "I was worried you were trying to do it on purpose."

Mina accepted the offered tea from her father with a wide smile and slight bow of her head. "Very funny. I... I didn't mean to. I guess I was..."

 _This was it. How would she proceed forward?_

"I-I was a little hungry." _Coward_. "I was distracted at lunch."

Hiroma didn't even notice the hesitation - or if he did, he didn't give any indication he did. "That would explain why the school nurse was asking for your favorite meals."

" _Actually,_ that was a classmate of mine," Mina said. Midoriya might not admit it to anyone, knowing how humble and quiet he could be, but she wasn't going to let him go without credit. Especially because when it came to brownie points, you could never have too many. The more her parents liked her friends, the more they'd let her hang out with them. "He was just looking out for me."

" _Oh_ ," Hiroma said with a glint in his eye. "I see."

Mina rolled her eyes. She knew her father was joking, but that didn't mean she would play into his joke. She didn't feel anything for him - he was cute, that was all. _Right?_

"Do you have any homework you should be doing?"

A hesitation kept Mina from denying the question outright, and she frowned in thought. "Yeah... I guess I do."

"Go on," he said, dismissing her with a sly smile. "You can't hang out with this guy if you don't have the grades to leave the house."

 _Again_ , she wasn't going to acknowledge it. "Yeah, yeah, I'll get on it." She stood up from the table, her tea still in hand, and began to walk over to her room (much calmer than earlier), but she stopped as she reached the hallway, knowing her father was still listening. "Hey, dad?"

"Hmm?"

 _This is it._

"If... if you knew a secret about someone... b-but, it was... you weren't meant to hear it... what would you do?"

There was silence. Mina didn't dare turn around, lest she want him to see the self-doubting expression on her face.

"Well..." He began. "I'd take my time telling them. Secrets are a hard thing to keep, but hopefully, they're keeping it for a good reason. If you think it's a good reason... maybe you should wait for them to bring it up." _Wait for him to bring it up..._ she bit her lip. _But if she did that... he might wait until it was too late_. She couldn't wait that long. Not with the things that were happening.

"Gotcha; thanks!"

She bounded up to her room, without another word, and closed the door silently behind her, before throwing herself face-first onto her bed.

"How does he even do this...?" she mumbled, turning her head sideways so that she could breathe again. She sighed.

 _Izuku..._

 _What are you fighting for...?_

* * *

 **That's a wrap for this chapter! Follow me on Tumblr (Scandinavian_Sensation) if you want to chat or ask questions, or if you don't want to, I usually respond to reviews, too. Otherwise, this will be a bit of a slower paced relationship building story, but I'll keep it from painfully slow. It'll also diverge from the manga, so be ready.**

 **Responses:**

 _animeflunky: Thank you! I'm a huge fan of it, admittedly. I have no idea why... but the pairing just seems so fun! I like Uraraka, don't get me wrong, but something about this is just awesome. I hope to not disappoint!_

 _Dragontitan: Haha, thank you, if you believe me, I actually had the second chapter done before I even uploaded the first. I was too amped to add the next chapter!_

 _FireDusk : I thought about it, and I applied some real-world experiences I've seen with people involving radical revelations. Most of the time, it turns out, people DO faint!_

 _evolvelove : Thank you; that's the plan! Evolution is key!_

 _allen Vth : Yeah, she really got a wake-up call! Talk about being kept in the dark..._

 _Guest: Absolutely! I couldn't leave this as a one-shot... well, I could, but it'd be horrible of me._

 _DeltaWing13: Your wish is my command._

 _Xpparda: Guess I have high expectations now!_

 _YukariNanaya22: Thank you! I tried to add something fun and unique, whilst also having a good premise to walk upon. I debated on where to start, and I realized, the most interesting thing that the manga portrays is that the Symbol of Peace has been a mystery for a long time... but ultimately, their job is dedicated toward stopping All-For-One. And Midoriya is so young... I wanted someone to recognize that burden, and so, ta-da! Mina was the (un)lucky recipient! I'd love to take the title, but I think Awkward Energy is still more interesting; but I'm glad you think so highly! I'll do my best to deliver!_

 _12AngryMen : Thanks; Mina is fairly flexible to write, but what makes her enjoyable is her personality. It's fun and exciting to write!_

 _DominoMags: Thank you! Connection was my attempt at breaking the wall and seeing where I stood in the fandom for Mina/Deku. I was OVERWHELMED by the responses, and ultimately, it drove me to give this a real shot. So far, it seems like it's been a good call. Thanks for your feedback :)_

 _Serthrek871: The inner conflict is something I plan to keep on the front lines, because it's something I really want to focus on for Midoriya, too. He's being forced to keep an age-old secret, and now, Mina is stuck in the same boat. She now understands the burden he's under with the secret alone - and that's not including his mission. Something like this, psychological back-and-forth, is fun for me to write, and I hope you enjoy!_


	3. 3: Pass or Fail!

"Ashido?"

From her trance, the pink girl blinked rapidly, and rubbed her eyes, trying to dispel the fatigue that had settled over her like a blanket. A light yawn escaped her mouth as her vision cleared, revealing several of her friends looking at her with concern written all over their faces. She felt a bead of sweat drip down her brow as she realized they must have been watching her for some time.

"S-sorry! I didn't sleep much the night before," she said with a warm laugh. It hadn't been a lie, either. Her sleep schedule the last _few_ nights had left something to be desired. Whether it was because she'd been forced into staying up late in order to finish some last minute exam-cramming, or maybe it was because her of rising anxiety over the upcoming test, the end result was her missing out on several hours of sleep.

Of course, she knew at least part of it was due to the ' _Midoriya Conflict_ '. She had made very little progress on that front, and it was beginning to mess with her head. She had attempted to talk to him a few times, but between the revelation of exams, and the rising rigors of the Hero Course, she'd been forced to limit the interactions she had with him. Lunch was one of the few times she got to see him, but more often than not, she found herself dozing off by accident.

"Do you need to see Recovery Girl?" Jirou asked uneasily.

Mina rolled her eyes. "I'm _fine_! Besides; now that those written exams are done, I can relax!"

A look of relief washed over the table at the mere mention of the written exams. Kaminari, in particular, was ecstatic, and was showing it off with giant smiles and an almost radiant energy. It was as if someone had replaced his electricity with good vibes, and they were crackling around his body, lifting everyone's mood, instead of their hair.

"That's true," Sero said with a grin. "All that's left is the practical exam. And that'll be a piece of cake!"

"I wouldn't get too cocky," Yaoyorozu said softly, a look of uncertain flashing in her eye. "While they're just robots, it wouldn't be U.A. if they didn't add some sort of trick in."

While everyone else spoke, Mina found her gaze slowly drifting one table over, to where a certain green-haired boy was sitting. He was ravenously digging into his food, barely pausing to breathe, but somehow, finding the time to laugh at something Todoroki mumbled. She smiled; seeing those two become such close friends was unusual, but she was happy to see them work past their intense battle from the Sports Festival. Ordinarily, maybe she wouldn't really have noticed, and maybe in another world, she would've been partially blind to Midoriya, but with everything she'd learnt as of late, she was finding him more and more interesting.

During class, she would often catch his eye, causing a tinge of pink to touch his cheeks, and force him to look away bashfully, eliciting a giggle from her, and a scolding from the teacher. Sometimes, she'd even brush by him between classes, offering him a warm smile and a pleasant greeting, which he'd return, albeit, with some stammering. He was quickly becoming one of her favorite people to interact with, just by his reactions and genuine pleasure in seeing her. He was... unique, she'd come to decide.

Plain to look at from afar, but unique to interact with.

"Earth to Ashido?" The girl blinked again; had she been staring? Kaminari failed to stifle his laughter, only ceasing when Jirou's earjack stabbed him in the arm, drawing a sharp yelp. He rubbed his arm and glared at the purple-haired girl, but turned to Ashido. "You were doing it again."

"Doing what again?" She asked, playing the clueless card. Maybe she could talk her way out of it...

Sero smirked. "Staring off at Midoriya." He turned to the rest of the table, and with his trademark grin, held up five fingers. "I think that's five times? How many times has that happened, Kaminari?"

"I'm thinking... around at least seven times," the electricity-user replied.

"Who cares how many times, huh?" Jirou interrupted. "Could be worse; she could be looking at, like, Bakugou."

Mina blanched. Now _that_ would've been interesting if he'd been the one picked to wield One-For-All. Did he even have the right personality to be gifted such a prestigious quirk? _Could_ he even use One-For-All? She didn't even know if someone with a quirk could hold a second one. Judging by the Nomu's she'd seen, people with multiple quirks became mindless fairly fast... and there wasn't exactly any way to check and see how many quirks it took to reduce them to their mindless state.

Could just two do it? Based on what she'd seen, One-For-All packed some serious power. If it was determined by the power of the quirk, then paired with Bakugou's current quirk... he probably would go insane. But... she shivered. Thinking about him with _both_ quirks was... slightly terrifying. He was already powerful - adding something like One-For-All into the equation might just turn him into a monster.

"No defense?" Kaminari asked slyly. Mina snorted.

"You keep thinking I'm looking at Midoriya, but maybe I'm not." She stuck out her tongue. "I could be looking at someone else... like..."

"Iida?" Jirou asked with a teasing smile.

"Yeah, Ii- wait, no. I'll take Midoriya."

"There's nothing wrong with him, he's got fairly good legs," Sero supplied in defense of their Class President. Mina didn't have a single thing against the bespectacled teenager; she admired his straight-forward drive, and his resolve toward being a man of the rules. That did not, however, mean she supported that pursuit, and she firmly believed that rules were meant to be bent, broken, shattered, and ignored when the time called for it.

Besides; if she had to admit who she was staring at, Midoriya was one of the best options she knew of

"True, but you've seen Midoriya," Kaminari said shamelessly. "He's pretty ripped for a guy who looks so small."

A faint blush dusted Jirou's face. "You guys have no shame. I'm try'na eat here."

"His quirk _is_ super-strength," Mina said defensively. Truthfully, she had no idea why she was rising to his defense - up to this point, she wouldn't have even guessed he was 'ripped'.

That didn't mean she wasn't slightly curious.

"True... it's just a.. _weird_ super strength." Sero began causally spinning the remnants of his soup in the bowl with his spoon, resting his head on his hand by propping his arm up. "Like; breaking yourself with each use?"

If Mina's attention wasn't fully on her friends before, it was now.

Jirou shrugged. "I mean, he _did_ say like once that he was a late bloomer, didn't he?"

"Speaking of weird quirks... what's the weird one you guys have ever seen...?" Ashido tried her best to ask the question as casually as she could, and was pleased when no one gave her a second glance.

"I once saw an horned owl with actual horns at a zoo," Kaminari responded. He seemed deep in thought, and even though it was _kind of_ what Mina had meant, it was also not anywhere _near_ the level she was hoping. "It was pretty cool, though it was still like an owl."

"Dork," Jirou muttered, though she seemed slightly amused. "I had a classmate who could pass his emotions to someone if he touched them." Mina's eyes darted to Jirou, who was casually spinning her earjack around her finger. "But as soon as he let go, they'd go back to feeling whatever they were feeling before."

"Transmission, huh?" Sero asked. "I knew a kid who could do something kinda similar. If he locked eyes with you, he could like, whisper in your head. It was cool, but also kind of scary when you just randomly heard a voice in your head. It seemed kinda impractical, too. Like, what could you do with something like that?"

Kaminari snapped his fingers. "Oh! You could pretend to be a ghost!"

"Would... would it be weird for someone to be able to pass their quirk on?"

Everyone at the table looked direct at Mina, who suddenly felt _very_ self-conscious. She looked between everyone, and put her hands up defensively. "W-what? I'm just asking!"

"Their quirk...? I mean... I dunno, it seems kinda wild, to be honest." Sero readjusted himself so that he was leaning back in his chair. "That also seems super impractical. Like, why would you _want_ to pass it on?"

 _Because you're looking for a successor who will stop one of Japan's greatest enemies, and is already moving behind the scenes to try and kill everyone?_

Of course, Mina was silent. She had to be.

"How would you know you could?" Kaminari mumbled aloud, and while it seemed stupid, Mina had to admit, it was actually a good question. How did the first holder of One-For-All even know he could pass on his quirk? Just because he was given a quirk... did that mean he suddenly knew the two had merged? He must have - otherwise, he wouldn't have known to pass it on, nor would he have known someone would be stronger than he was at some point.

The gentle chime of the lunch bell brought an immediate halt to their conversation, and just like that, everyone stood up with renewed vigor, and zero knowledge about the topic they'd just spoken about. Kaminari stretched his torso by reaching to the ceiling, grinning to himself as he felt his blood pump with gusto, his body practically vibrating at the thought of getting to electrocute some robots.

Mina was less excited; her mind adrift as she considered everyone's reactions. Just as she'd expected, nobody really thought it possible that the a quirk could be passed on. Admittedly, she'd _kind of_ taken a gamble that no one would be suspicious with her asking, but she didn't really have much of a choice, either. She had made _zero_ progress up until this point, and it had been several days already. She needed... something! She needed to start somewhere, and her friends seemed like a good place!

Well, they _had_ , anyways.

Now she was back to square... zero.

As she sighed with resignation, and stood up to toss her bowl into the dish drawer for washing purposes, she caught the passing gaze of Jirou, and a slight shiver ran down her spine as the hearing-heroine seemed to be giving her a deeper stare than normal. But, as fast as her gaze had come, it vanished, and Jirou was back to looking at her yellow-haired friend, leaving Mina to wonder:

 _What in the world was that...?_

* * *

She failed.

Utterly. Spectacularly. Horrifically.

Really, it didn't matter _what_ adjective she used, it didn't change the outcome. She had failed so miserably that she was actually ashamed to show her face to her classmates. She knew they'd seen her, though. She almost laughed bitterly, thinking about how she and Kaminari had been running around like chickens without heads, desperately trying to avoid Nezu's calculated and precise strikes. She hadn't bothered to stop and think about anything - she left the thinking up to Kaminari and tried to provide the muscle, which hilariously had backfired.

Who was she kidding?

A failing grade like that was beyond disheartening. It was practically crippling. She had worked so hard in studying for that written exam that she'd just _believed_ that she was owed a passing grade on the practical. She had figured the girl from 1-B was right - and she was completely unprepared for what was awaiting her. There wasn't a single rational reason she had that would protect her from the truth - she'd just screwed up, big time.

"D-Damn..." Kaminari mumbled listlessly. They'd finally reached the compound, but he was hesitant to walk inside, to face his waiting classmates. Ashido couldn't blame him - she was just as hesitant. He slammed his fist into the wall, but it lacked power, despite the frustration that was undoubtedly boiling under the surface, as his anger was replaced with... the numbing reality that they'd failed. "I-I'm sorry, Ashido..."

She shook her head slowly. "It's not your entirely your fault. I'm half to blame."

The yellow-haired teenager was silent, his fist still pressed against the wall, a long sigh escaping his lips. "I didn't..." He paused. "T-this whole time... were we screwed from the beginning?"

Mina looked up at him, raising her head for what felt like the first time since they'd been told they failed. His face was twisted with both poorly masked anger and sorrow, casting a dark look on his face that seemed relatively foreign. "A genius against... what, us? No offense, but we're the two worst in the class for grades. It hardly seems like a coincidence."

"That's because it wasn't." Kirishima, from the doorway, spoke solemnly and softly, though his voice seemed strained, like he, too, was angry. "You saw Sato and I. Two of the class's more direct attackers against one of the most ranged teachers we had? It's no coincidence. Midoriya even said so - it was a test, designed to beat us."

Kaminari grit his teeth. "So why -"

"Because we're not kids anymore." Kirishima's voice turned hard - harder than even his body. He looked at the two, directly, with his red eyes, and barely tried to contain his seething emotions, despite his normally friend demeanor. "We've been attacked once, and some of us have even been attacked twice. Todoroki. Iida." He paused, and Mina suddenly had an idea of who the last person he was going to say was. "Midoriya. All of them... they're above us because they're willing to do what needs to be done."

"And that is...?" Kaminari asked.

"Go beyond."

It was their motto, of course. Everyone knew U.A's motto - from the famous Sport's Festival, to the community service U.A students provided, everybody knew about the rigors the students would undergo whilst branding the U.A. colors. They were the top dogs - and there wasn't a single person who could ignore that, rival or not. But to embody those words was far harder than it sounded. It wasn't just about being smart. It wasn't just about being strong. It was more than the individual power of their quirks. It was more than their backgrounds or potential.

It was about their ability to adapt, overcome, and triumph. It was about their willingness to put their nose to the grindstone and power through, using any and every tactic that could possibly change the outcome to be in their favor. For someone like Bakugou, who was innately powerful, physically and with his quirk, and had the drive to become the number one, no matter what, it came naturally, but was still embodied. Todoroki, who, despite his upbringing and father, was willing to break his own personal code when push came to shove, even if it took some coaxing. His power was grand, but no amount of power could have saved him from the Hero Killer if he'd been unwilling to do whatever he could.

For someone like Midoriya, who was the physical embodiment of Plus Ultra. Only Mina knew his conditions, but she didn't even have to know about One-For-All to understand he had risen from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the crop in half a semester. Through the blood, sweat and tears, he'd forged a path that left everyone awestruck and flabbergasted, not even bothering to concern himself with what happened to his body along the way. Dangerous and reckless, yes, but as long as his body functioned, he was good to go and willing to duke it out for another round.

It was easy to stare in awe at the "Big Three", or the silently voted most powerful students in the class. As far as 1-B went, Mina didn't have a clue, but she knew that they were _all_ familiar with the power of Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugou. After all - they'd made it clear during the Sports Festival who was on top, and who was looking up. It was less about who won, and more about how they performed, and for Mina, she wasn't impressed with her own performance, especially considering the stakes. But at the end of the day, there were no excuses. As powerful as they were, they're weren't unsurpassable. They were human - and they had limits, same as anyone.

"I'm not saying we need to lose ourselves and ditch the fun." Kirishima's voice has softened, and his expression had fallen, revealing the very things that Mina was feeling herself. Exhaustion. Disappointment. Reluctant understanding. They'd failed because of their own shortcomings, not because of how the test was designed. "We just... need to figure it out."

Kaminari groaned lightly. "Yeah... yeah, I get it. It just..." He paused. "Sucks."

"We'll get there," Mina said. She meant it. She wasn't going to settle for the bottom. "We just gotta stay positive."

From inside the room, the loud intercom that overlooked each battlefield blared to life, with the same bland voice that had announced all of the prior battle trials. " _Bakugou Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku, battle trial to commence."_

Mina looked at her two friends, and offered them weak smiles. "Well, I guess if we're going to turn that corner, watching All Might in action would be the best idea, huh?"

"Those two are so _screwed_ ," Kaminari said with a shudder. "I mean, Nezu is one thing... but fricken' All Might?"

"If anyone can do it, it's gonna be those two," Kirishima admitted.

"Well c'mon!" Mina said, trying to squash the still aching disappointment that was radiating through her brain. "Let's root them on!"

She didn't wait for them to respond - she actually _did_ want to see the fight, despite the knowledge that if they won, the gap would only appear that much larger between her and the top. After all, anyone that could best _All Might_ in combat was... well, it was easiest to believe they weren't even real. Considering he was using numerous strength reducers, plus the fact that he'd passed his quirk on (though, only she knew that part), Mina truly believed that they had a chance. A small one, but it was there.

Part of her also yearned to watch Midoriya versus his mentor - it was the stuff that manga was written about! The student aiming to surpass the teacher... it was the classic shonen situation. She hadn't really seen Midoriya fight since unlocking his new... 'Full-Cowl', or whatever he called it. She'd seen his mobility increase exponentially, but she'd only heard in passing that his combat had improved, too.

Walking into the room, Mina's eyes widened as she noticed all of the teachers that had conducted their battle tests were also in the room, staring at the screen with keen interest. Hagakure took notice and gestured for Mina to come over by waving a gloved hand frantically, and calling out. "Ashido, c'mere! I saved you a spot!"

The pink girl bounded over, ignoring the looks she received from her classmates. She knew they meant well, but she didn't care to be reminded of her shortcomings. That didn't stop Hagakure, though. "I'm sorry you didn't pass... I thought you did okay, too! The Principle is... scary..."

"I wouldn't really say I did okay." She didn't believe that for a second. "We panicked and that's why we failed. But... we'll improve from here! We all will!"

"That's the spirit." Mina glanced over at Yaoyorozu, who was smiling widely, and seemed... much more confident? Her head seemed higher, and her posture just a tad bit improved - but most notably, her eyes were shining, and there was a spark that had been missing for awhile. "Failure happens to everyone - at some point, I promise, everyone in this class will experience it. But when you fail, you have the unique opportunity to learn from it and improve."

While it wasn't as uplifting as the tall girl had probably intended, it did somewhat alleviate the gnawing disappointment in Mina's head, and she felt herself lightened a little bit more. She offered the Creation-user a soft smile and a thumbs up. "Yeah... we'll get better. All of us." She spared Kirishima and Kaminari a glance - who were being hounded by some of her male classmates, with Kaminari getting 'lectured' by Mineta (a thought that made Mina's blood boil), and Kirishima getting sympathy from Sero.

They had good friends. All of them.

"A-ah! All Might really isn't holding back!" Hagakure said suddenly, and Ashido remembered the ongoing match. She watched just in time to see All Might - a man she, as well as almost every student in Class 1-A revered growing up - drive a guard-rail through Midoriya's body, and she felt her breath hitch in her throat like a wall had been put up inside her. Had he...?

The screen was image-only, so there was no audio to accompany the action, but thankfully, Midoriya's expression was more shocked than pain, as he was driven into the dirt with force. His body made a slight crater, but somehow (and Mina had no idea how), he looked relatively alright, though his face morphed into shock as Bakugou received a direct punch to his solar plexus, sending him careening backward.

From her chair, Mina could hear the scolding from Recovery Girl as she not-so-silently fumed. "Crazy oaf is going to completely overdo it...!"

Everyone watched in apt attention as All Might knelt down to say something to the gasping blonde-haired boy, and despite their lack of audio, they could tell whatever he said didn't resonate well with the explosive boy as he scowled and glared holes into the larger, more experienced hero. All Might seemed to sigh, before cocking his fist back, but what came next drew various exclamations from around the room.

"Did Midoriya just _punch_ Bakugou?!"

"D-Deku?!"

"Why would you strike your teammate...?"

"Yeah! Screw that guy!" Mina glanced at Mineta, who was... celebrating? She shook her head - she'd never understand that kid.

Though she couldn't pretend like she didn't somewhat enjoy that. "Wow, good hit!" She even said aloud, drawing a snort from Hagakure, and a raised eyebrow from Yaoyorozu. She didn't hold back - it _was_ a good hit.

Midoriya said something to Bakugou - what that was, however, wasn't quite clear - and picked him up with ease, before hopping away, into a nearby alley, but outside the vision of All Might. Despite his lack of 'bunny ears', Mina couldn't quite help the resemblance she saw in his movements, when she compared him to a furry rabbit. He was even kinda cute like one.

"That Midoriya sure has some power, huh?" Kirishima said in fascination.

"His radiant power grows every day~" Aoyama said to no one in particular. But he wasn't wrong, either.

Tokoyami crossed his arms. "Bakugou is no pushover, either. That was a strong hit, but so far, he's been on the receiving end of everything. He can't have much more room for error if he wants to pass."

Factually speaking, Tokoyami was right. While Midoriya had been 'stapled' into the ground, he hadn't really received any injuries thus far - that Mina had _seen_ anyways, since she had been distracted at the beginning - and he was fresh. Rattled, perhaps, but fresh nonetheless. Bakugou, though, had taken a direct punch from Midoriya, and an uppercut from All Might. Just one punch from Japan's greatest hero had to feel like getting hit by an incoming truck.

So far, they'd managed to evade All Might for the most part, but their poor cooperation was already hindering them. If they had any chance of winning... Mina clenched her fist subconsciously.

 _'Don't you dare break your bones, Midori...'_

"I wonder what they'll do now..." Iida mumbled. "Surely facing All Might head-on is a grievous error?"

"Perhaps not." Aizawa muttered for the first time, breaking the silence that had befallen the teachers. "Between those two, their power is formidable. When facing a stronger opponent, you don't need to overpower them initially. But you do need to know when you can overpower them. Everyone here is fighting time."

"What do you mean, Mr. Aizawa?" Tsuyu asked. "All Might doesn't have a time limit, right? Ribbit."

For a second, Mina was confused. Time limits? She'd recalled something that Thirteen had mentioned back at the USJ about All Might running out of time; at the time, she hadn't really thought anything about it. But, with the new revelations she'd come across, perhaps it made sense that All Might couldn't use his quirk for as long as he did. It was like a canister, she imagined. If her quirk was the liquid inside, eventually, she'd run out of liquid. It might replenish, but it needed time. If Midoriya had One-For-All, then there was even slower recharge times involved, and All Might probably couldn't use One-For-All nearly as long as he used to be able to.

Or at least, that was a possibility. There were still too many unknowns - the biggest one nipping at her brain.

 _Why even give away One-For-All in the first place...?_

She'd had no answer to this question, and it was legitimately driving her mad. All Might was still a very capable hero - while his age was a bit of a mystery, they'd known he'd graduated from U.A., and you could find images of the hero in past books. With that being said, he wasn't close to retirement, and he'd even said that he defeated One-For-All's user once before... so why... couldn't he finish him off now?

What was stopping him?

Why pass off his power to Midoriya _now_? Had he just believed that he'd defeated All-For-One's user the first time? Was it just a premature movement of One-For-All?

"They're moving!" Uraraka yelped, and Mina's thought process was broken by Bakugou blasting All Might, and screaming something. From behind, everyone gasped - Midoriya was wearing Bakugou's gauntlet with a grim expression. The explosion that resonated through the testing field could almost be heard at the spectator's facility, though only Jirou had strong enough ears, and she had to strain a bit. All Might flew backward, and a grimace of pain shot through Midoriya's arm as his shoulder was sent rocketing backward from the recoil.

"T-that's... his shoulder looks kinda funky..." Kaminari mumbled.

Jirou agreed uneasily. "Maybe dislocated...?"

"Bakugou's explosions have likely reinforced the tissue and surrounding joints around his shoulder to withstand the forces generated from each explosion." Yaoyorozu said lowly, though her voice filled the silent room. "Midoriya, unfortunately, doesn't have the same luxury."

"What a wild power..." Mina gulped. She hadn't even considered the mild bodily changes that occurred when one received their quirk. It was easy to overlook those changes, but to someone like Midoriya, they made all the difference. He was born quirkless... ergo, he had never had any reinforcements created, and he was weaker than all of them because of something as simple as that. Even so...

Mina felt her admiration for Midoriya increase just a tad more. Even so, he was dedicated to doing whatever he could to get stronger.

The duo began to run toward the exit, not noticing All Might's blazing speed. "H-he shattered both cuffs... with a punch?!" Uraraka stated with wide eyes.

"W-what strength..." Sato groaned.

Mina blinked - and when her eyes opened, All Might was grasping Midoriya by his arm, holding him in the air like a fish pulled from the stream, while placing his foot firmly on Bakugou's back. It was at that moment she realized the gap between her and the top was evident, yes. But the gap between Midoriya and All Might was...

 _Immense_.

To him, there was a chance that he believed they weren't even comparable. She stared - in fear - as Midoriya dangled lifelessly in All Might's grip, a look of abject horror on his face. Bakugou's disbelief was written all over his face, and for the first time, Mina actually felt a pang of sympathy for the blonde-haired hero-in-training. Facing against someone as overwhelming as All Might... having a plan that resulted in nothing... being overpowered time and time again, with no chance of escape... was it even worth fighting against?

"C-c'mon, Deku!" Uraraka said through her tears. Mina knew she wasn't crying - _she wouldn't cry -_ but that didn't mean she wasn't upset. She clenched her fists and leaned forward, desperately trying to remain optimistic for her green-haired friend (and lesser so for the blonde-haired teen) despite their rapidly sinking odds.

"You can do it!" She yelled out, and her voice was followed by a raucous uproar of her fellow classmates, each pitching their faith in the duo, even as the situation continued to worsen.

Midoriya desperately powered up, the electricity crackling around his body like a second skin as his Full-Cowl sprung to life, but All Might simply smiled good-naturedly and shook his head. With barely any wind up, he threw the boy like a sack of flour, sending him flying recklessly into the ground, rolling like a rag-doll, before coming to a painful halt.

He didn't stir.

"Oh no..." Tsuyu mumbled quietly.

"Get up, bro!" Kirishima yelled loudly, but it was clear that not even he knew if his friend would be getting back up.

Then, there was a blinding whiteness on the camera.

"W-what the...?"

Todoroki grunted in surprise. "An explosion...?"

Sure enough, the whiteness faded, and as the image restored, everyone watched as All Might staggered backward, barely harmed, but rubbing desperately at his eyes, a pained expression on his face. Bakugou rolled out from under his now-lifted foot and clamored over to the fallen Midoriya, a scowl on the blonde boy's face. He seemed to say something, and to everyone's surprise - and joy - Midoriya slowly rose.

"He sure doesn't hold back," Jirou muttered.

"That's what makes him so _manly_!" Kirishima said, pumping his fist.

Admittedly, Mina was impressed. Bakugou's power was never in question, but it seemed that with every chance that arose for him to prove himself, the explosive-teen was more than ready to rise up and meet the challenge. His ferocity in battle was unmatched - by anyone - and more often than not, he was able to fight through a situation with raw strength.

His unwillingness to lose a fight made him a formidable opponent. But...

Mina grimaced.

Would that be enough?

"Is... is he throwing Midoriya...?" Iida said in surprise.

Sure enough, Midoriya found himself in Bakugou's grip, and while the blonde-haired boy didn't look happy with having to, it seemed they were settling for fleeing the combat zone in order to secure their grade. It was the only way, even if neither party was willing to admit it. The strength gap between the three was larger than the space between the Earth and sun.

One day, maybe they'd touch that gap, and one day, they'd even surpass him. One day, they'd stand amongst the top heroes, a testament to their labor, and a mark of honor upon the sweat they'd poured to reach their point. But today...

Today they wouldn't beat him in combat.

An explosion darkened the screen as Midoriya went flying, and bursts of flames dotted his uniform, trails of smoke rising off of his shoulder, tracing the arc he made through the air. A few students hissed and moaned at the burns that their friend undoubtedly suffered in a last-ditch effort for them to pass.

But Mina sighed; they would pass after all.

Then...

Everything changed.

All Might - with the speed that couldn't be followed by the naked eye - came soaring through the air like a ballistic missile on a direct collision course with the green-haired boy. The impact was _devastating_ , and the camera perfectly caught the intense pain that filled Midoriya's body as he was launched into a prop bus, crashing with dangerous haphazardness, his body mangling the steel and framework.

"Holy shit..." Ashido mumbled with a hand over her mouth.

There was no way he could get up from that... right? That had to be it. There was no way they'd be allowed to keep fighting. This wasn't a test - it was a poor man's effort at _not dying_.

Bakugou seemed shocked, but didn't hesitate to leap in, launching explosions from his hands like there was no tomorrow, desperately trying to impede the legendary hero's progress. He seemed to scream something, but without audio, his words were lost to the void, never to be heard again. And Mina, with all her heart, found herself almost hoping that Midoriya wouldn't get up again - he was beaten to high-hell. They both were. This couldn't continue.

But Midoriya got up, just like she knew he would.

And he began crawling, pitifully, toward the gate, the crackling electricity that surrounded his body only slightly aiding his movements. And then, in one swift movement, Bakugou was down - and out - and Midoriya turned around, frozen in time.

"He's down..." Yaoyorozu whispered.

"Is... did they fail...?" Sero asked quietly, almost in disbelief.

"No way..." Kaminari mumbled.

 _Did they... fail?_

Then, Midoriya moved.

Toward All Might.

And for Mina, it all made sense.

Why he was picked to become All Might's successor. Why he'd been selected to become the new... 'Symbol of Peace', as All Might had dubbed it. Why he was so willing to follow in All Might's footsteps and fight the most dangerous man that Japan had ever known, despite the looming death that probably waited for him. Why he was able to rise to the top of the class, despite his former quirkless status.

It all made sense as he drew his fist back and struck All Might directly in the cheek, forcing the bulky man's head to snap the side, and release his grip on the unconscious Bakugou. It all made sense as the green-haired quirk-inheritor grabbed the boy and dragged him along, the dancing electricity of Full-Cowl propelling the two forward with surprising speed, despite Izuku's deformed shoulder, skin burns, and various bruises and cuts.

It all made sense as he passed through the gate, and the robotic voice (sounding a little more excited than it did before) droned out its pre-recorded message.

 _"Battle trial, concluded. Midoriya Izuku and Bakugou Katsuki have passed."_

* * *

 _Ayy, chapter 3 in the books. I know it probably wasn't all the exciting - after all, a lot of it was canon-esque stuff -_ _but it was necessary, and some minor deviations were necessary, too. Mina might not have had the development you were hoping for, but this is a slower burn romance story. It'll take some time - expect her to start to talk to Midoriya more in the coming chapters, but also for a few other characters to start to suspect something..._

 _I also saw this story was mentioned on Reddit, and thank you so much for that! I love seeing people enjoy my work, so really, go nuts!_

 _If you haven't, check my Tumblr for occasional updates and requests, as well as chapter previews!_

 _And now for responses:_

 _Dragontitan: Mina does have a lot to say, doesn't she? But the whole point is that she doesn't feel like she should tell him because of her own fear of his response in finding out. There's guilt in overhearing something like that - and, unfortunately, things like this can happen where no one know's what to say._

 _FireDusk: Marriage? Somebody better warn Midoriya, he might lose his mind ;)_

 _MIKE202303 : Thank you! I'm glad you like it!_

 _BukkakeNoJutsu : Thanks! I really put some effort into how to start everything off, and to be honest, this just felt right!_


	4. 4: A Casual Day Turned Wild

The trip to Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall was something that Mina had been looking forward to since the beginning of the semester. Truthfully, she'd been to the shopping center _plenty_ of times, but this was the first time she had the chance to go with the vast majority of her class - a fact that was not easily missed by anyone. Bakugou had, for all intensive purposes, told them to ' _fuck off_ ', so she wasn't too sore that he wasn't present. Todoroki, on the other hand, had something he wanted to do, and kept it rather vague.

 _"I can get your stuff, if you like?"_ Yaoyorozu had asked, and the half-and-half user blinked, before smiling faintly, and nodding in appreciation. Mina hadn't missed _that_ exchange, and had her eyes set on the tall girl's form, ready to pounce and get some answers from her Vice President.

Before she could, however, another target walked into her sights, and made her forget all about her plethora of questions.

"You were so cool during your fight, Midoriya!" Kirishima said, pumping his fist. He clasped his hand on the smaller boy's shoulder, causing said boy to laugh nervously, but look at him with an appreciative smile.

The look seemed so pure. "I-it was nothing, Kirishima. Really! Kacchan did a lot of the work... I just kinda picked up where I was needed!"

"That's not true!" Sato said, placing his hand on the boy's other shoulder, albeit, far gentler than Kirishima had, despite his much larger frame. "You really flexed those big guns, there. I think I speak for everyone when I say it was pretty cool watching you work!"

Midoriya blushed a deep red, and rubbed the back of his head. Ashido smiled, seeing that. She wasn't sure what it was: she'd learned his secret only about a week ago, and yet, somehow, she found herself suddenly drawn to him like he was a magnet, and she was the metal. He was captivating, and not in the way she'd ever thought someone would be. He wasn't smooth, or cliché. He wasn't even confident.

He also had no idea he was drawing in her attention, soaking it up like a sponge in water. As far as he knew, she was just as interested in his fight with All Might as anyone else; but, as far as she knew, he was just a mystery she knew nothing about. She knew she felt strongly about him - but it was all admiration. She didn't know him. She'd barely spoken to him. For her to have any sort of crush on him would be... ridiculous, honestly! It would be unfounded! He was cute, but things like that didn't just... spontaneously happen, right?

Or did they? Wasn't that the whole point of a crush? It was irrational - founded on... practically nothing. That's why they were so frustrating.

He kept talking, obviously trying to brush off the compliments. "I-it means a lot to me! But, you guys were just as cool, in my opinion!"

Sato and Kirishima exchanged a grin. "We failed, dude! We didn't even get a hit in!"

"No... but, that doesn't mean you did badly. You really showed your strength... a-and, it's hard going first!"

"It's even harder going against All Might, though," Kaminari said, coming from behind the two melee-fighters, taking an earbud from his ear, in order to catch the conversation better. He grinned at Midoriya's expression. "Dude, just take the compliments - you were super awesome!"

"I-I just... don't feel like I did anything? I didn't _beat_ All Might," Izuku mumbled.

Even though she wanted to face-plant, she didn't want to key in Midoriya - or any of the guys - that she was eavesdropping. Of course he'd feel like he hadn't done anything, since he hadn't actually _defeated_ his favorite hero! Even though he seemed like such a docile person, Mina was beginning to learn that he had as much personal honor as anyone else in the class. Running away from a fight... the final exam had served a darker, more sobering reality to her, and to everyone else. Sometimes, there'd be opponents you couldn't defeat on your own... and you'd have to run.

It wasn't an ideal strategy, but it beat getting murdered, and it _did_ have significantly more benefits than just surviving. Though, for some of her classmates, Ashido knew running was all but an impossibility. Kirishima, for one, would be held by his ' _code of manliness'_ , and would have refused to use the exit, even if it were right in front of him. Bakugou was another obvious choice, and it was clear as day that he hadn't wanted to settle for using the gate as their win-condition.

But Midoriya...? She wasn't exactly sure where he stood. Surely, he wanted to use the gate as their escape. But only because it was _All Might_. Would he have felt okay fighting someone less foreboding? Would he have willingly stood up to another teacher, aimed for incapacitation, and only used the escape route if he had to?

It was just another question she had on the growing list...

"Landing a hit on All Might practically counts as beating him," Sato reasoned, patting Izuku on the back.

"I wouldn't have even touched him, let alone tried to fight him..." Hagekure added, bouncing up to Midoriya. "I would've hid and snuck to the exit!"

For someone invisible, that made the most sense, Mina thought with amusement. Her grin kept growing as she watched Midoriya's flustered state grow more and more with each person that came up to compliment him. There hadn't been a lot of time after the exam to speak, especially since both he and Bakugou were taken to the infirmary with various injuries that needed treatment. And once they were back in class, and Aizawa revealed his practical ruse (again), they'd set off for the Mall, not taking much time to chat idly. Now, though, they were on their own schedule, and everyone _needed_ to swarm the strange strength-enhanced teen.

From the corner of her eye, she spied Kirishima giving her a look, and realizing that her gaze had been locked on the green-haired teenager. With a wide smile, flashing his sharp, white teeth, he waved at her, and called out, "Hey, Ashido, what did you think about Midoriya's fight?"

She blinked; she'd just been outed.

Her heart-rate picked up a touch and she felt a tad bit of warmth spread through her cheeks as Midoriya looked at her with his wide, innocent emerald eyes. Some sort of sensation seemed to course through her when they locked eyes, and for just a second, the rest of the world faded into oblivion, and it was just her, and him, staring at one another.

Then, she cursed, and tried to play it off. "He moved like a _champ_!"

Of course, this just sent another flush of red across his cheeks, and he looked away awkwardly, to Mina's relief. Someone called for everyone to group up, and the decision was unanimously made for everyone to go shopping for the things they needed, and they'd group up as things went on. This was probably for the best, though Ashido saw mini-groups break out between mutual friends, and they trekked off, excitedly, in a random direction, laughing and smiling.

"Yo, Ashido," Kaminari hollered. "You comin' with us?"

His group consisted of himself, Jirou, Sero, Sato, Kirishima, and, most surprisingly, Yaoyorozu. It was an odd fit, but she smiled; the taller girl had some social anxiety at times, and this was a perfect opportunity for her to break out of her shell a bit more. She went to respond, but in her peripheral vision, she noticed something odd - Uraraka was rushing away on her own... leaving Midoriya all by himself.

Confusion - and a bit of hurt - was on his face, but ultimately, he sighed, and resigned himself to going off on his own. He readjusted his backpack, and began looking around, appearing quite overwhelmed.

Had he ever been to this mall before? It was pretty popular, and for her personally, it had been a regular destination of her's in middle school, but judging by his expression, it was entirely possible he'd only been once or twice, and he'd never learned the layout. Plus, with all the people around, it might have been a bit overwhelming for his skittish nature.

She decided to pity him a bit. "Hey, Midoriya," she called, practically skipping over to him. He blinked and turned toward her.

"A-ah, Ashido!" He greeted. "What's up?"

"Nothin~" She sang. "You're lookin' a bit lost; wanna come with us?"

He didn't seem apprehensive, which Mina took as a very good sign. He hesitated for a second, glancing over at the group she was referring to, before he tightened the straps on his backpack and smiled nervously. "I don't want to intrude..."

"C'monn! You wouldn't be!" She pointed toward the direction of her small group, which picked up on her intentions rather well. Kirishima was clearly beckoning him over, waving enthusiastically, while everyone else was a little more reserved. Kaminari gave him two thumbs up - which looked _remarkably_ similar to when he'd discharged past his limit - and even Yaoyorozu was gesturing for him to come over.

It was all enough, and he smiled. "Okay, thank you for inviting me!"

She was sure a tinge of lilac was touching her cheeks - _curse her hormones_ \- but she brushed it off and slung an arm around his shoulders, pulling him forward with her, despite his rapidly reddening face. "It's nothing, dude! You're our friend!"

 _Friend_.

Were they friends? He'd waited for her after she'd fainted - and even walked with her to her train. They'd made a quiet vow to hang out more, and of course, she thought they were friends simply because they'd talked, but... he was an interested individual. She, nor really _anyone_ knew how he ticked, so there was always that subtle chance that he didn't think they were friends. And, surprisingly, she felt her heart sink a little bit at that thought.

Why though? Why was she so upset at the prospect of them not being friends? She had plenty of great friends already; people who'd give her the shirt of their back, if prompted. So why did it feel so... upsetting that he might not consider her a friend?

"Well, when you put it like that..." Midoriya said with an embarrassed smile. And just like that, the heavy feeling was released, and Mina's grin returned in full-force.

Ignoring the fact that she still had her arm around his shoulders - which forced her to raise her arm, as she'd never really noticed that he was just a tad taller than her - she pulled him over to the small group of their classmates, and grinned as they greeted him in their own unique manner. Once all the pleasantries were exchanged, a decision was made to get all the clothing that was needed, along with any random fitness equipment, since Sato, Kirishima, and Midoriya all wanted to get some weights and bracers.

Without further ado, the group began walking, everyone falling into comfortable conversation with one another. Sato, Kirishima, Sero and Kaminari began discussing the implications of their extra training they'd be forced to partake in, while Midoriya found himself talking with the polite Yaoyorozu, a gentle conversation about various things, including the briefest mention of Todoroki, leaving her to follow behind - not that she minded. It gave her a chance to watch all of her friends evenly, although her gaze subconsciously settled on the green-haired teenager.

Before she realized what she was doing, she was staring at him, a small smile touching her lips.

He was changing more than he realized.

His confidence was beginning to pop out in random instances, and while he wasn't a social butterfly like her, he was starting to branch out, and talk to more people than just Uraraka and Iida. He no longer looked overwhelmed in the face of a new conversation, despite the unfamiliarity he might be placed in, and he made active attempts to contribute to conversations if he was included.

Slowly, day-by-day, he was breaking out of the shell he'd entered U.A. in. It was hard to judge how far he'd emerge, since she had no idea what truly put him in such a guarded state before coming to U.A.

Obviously, there was the One-For-All fiasco, and his quirkless status, too. Since he hadn't said anything to her, it was still just a speculation, but it had plenty of foundation behind it. Bakugou's vulgar temperament concerning the timid boy's quirk was even more indication that something had changed, unless he was just being a pretentious ass - which was possible - but something told Ashido that the sandy-haired teenager wasn't _that_ petty.

Jirou non-chatlantly pulled the pink girl to the side, a bit of distance between everyone, and gave her a quizzical look. Ashido blinked, and slowly asked, "what's up?"

"You and Midoriya. What's going on with that?"

She caught on _fast_.

"What do you mean?" Ashido asked casually, folding her arms behind her head as she walked.

"You know what I mean... i-it's kinda unusual for you to seek out someone... like him." The hearing-jack heroine kept averted her eyes, and Mina realized she was probably fairly nervous to be bringing the topic up. But there must have been some reason for her doing that in the first place, right? And there was a bit of truth to Jirou's words. It wasn't as if it was completely unusual for Mina to find a new person to socialize with - after all, she was the very definition of a social butterfly - but, it was a little strange how she'd randomly sought out one of the more shy people in the class. She couldn't even use the excuse that he was the shyest, because Koda and Todoroki were both quieter on a daily basis.

The only thing that Midoriya really had over them, was his mysterious quirk factor, along with the radical changes in personality. So... she decided to roll with that.

"He's unique; I wanna get to know him! I mean, we're all gonna be heroes anyways, and he seems like he'll be great at it." It wasn't a lie - _he probably was going to be a great hero -_ but it wasn't the truth, either. Bringing up One-For-All... with the nothing she knew about it... it didn't seem like a good idea. Especially considering the fact that she hadn't even spoken to Midoriya about it. If a rumor was kindled, she knew that it would eventually come back to her.

That didn't even consider the implications it could have on the green-haired teenager.

Jirou's gaze narrowed. "So why is your heartbeat picking up...?"

 _Shit_. She'd forgotten about Jirou's magnified hearing.

"Wha-"

"Ashido, if you don't mind my asking," Yaoyorozu cut in, unaware she was saving Mina from the interrogation, curtesy of Jirou. "What kind of fabric is your hero costume made from? I was looking into re-inforcing my own, following some recent events, and I was looking for recommendations."

She sighed, and quickly slid back, slipping between Yaoyorozu and Midoriya, and answered the question with vigor (a weak repayment for Yaoyorozu's timely save), but couldn't miss the look that the hearing heroine gave her, silently promising that they were not yet finished with their discussion.

* * *

The rest of the shopping trip went off without a hitch... with the exception of Midoriya getting separated and cornered by a villain.

Ashido found herself cursing and hissing quietly, pacing back and forth as Midoriya was held in a police tent, questioned by the lead investigator of the Villain's Alliance case. She hadn't seen him since he disappeared, but according to Uraraka, he'd looked fairly defiant, even in the face of a very dangerous opponent. The pink girl had smiled at that - he was full of surprises, wasn't he?

"Calm down, jeez, you'd think you were his girlfriend by the way you're acting," Kirishima teased, idly sipping on a drink he'd grabbed from a nearby vendor. Mina scowled at him, but didn't reply. She had every right to be worried! What if that villain knew the connection between Midoriya and One-For-All?!

... It was unlikely, she reasoned. There was practically no reason that any villain would conceivably know about the existence of One-For-All, let alone care about what Midoriya's quirk was. He was strong, but so was Sato, under the right circumstances. They wouldn't know to single him out specifically... it had just been a freak, random occurrence.

From the look and sound of it, it was the same hand-obsessed villain from the USJ; which meant, he was closely watching their class... and probably just waiting to strike. But, yet...

"Aren't you worried at least a bit? I mean; the villain _found_ us. Doesn't that... y'know, _scare_ you?" Mina couldn't trust that _no one_ was scared. They were all still high schoolers!

Kirshima exchanged a look with Kaminari, and shuffled awkwardly in place. "It's not that I'm... not worried... but, we came to U.A. for a reason, remember? We talked about thi-"

"We talked about trying harder - not ignoring signs of danger!" Mina retorted.

"No one was hurt," Kirshima replied, crossing his arms.

"Someone could've been! This guy... he tried to kill All Might! I don't think we should ignore that!"

Kaminari decided this was an ideal time to step in, sliding his body between the feuding parties and putting his hands up in a defensive position. He seemed a bit nervous, but seeing as how no one else from the group was willing to stand up and stop the argument, he decided to bite the bullet.

"H _eeeyyyyy_ now, let's just... calm down?"

From the bench she was sitting on, Jirou sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "What an effort..."

Kirshima didn't push past his friend, but didn't back off, either. He looked at Mina defiantly, though there was an ounce of concern as he stared directly into her eyes. She stared back, just as defiantly. The two refused to budge, and for an instance, it became a game of will - the loser being the one that would back off, first. Finally, Kirishima sighed, and stuffed his hands into his pockets in defeat.

"What's gotten into you? You're not... normally like this."

Half of Mina wanted to snap at him for such an insolent comment. But... the other half of her talked her down.

 _He was right_.

This... this wasn't her. Sure, she'd been all sorts of freaked out during the USJ attack, and she'd admit to everyone that she'd cried during and after All Might's arrival, even shaking senselessly in her costume before he'd arrived. She knew she was training to become a great hero - but she hadn't been prepared to face the end of her life before she'd had a chance to learn what her life even meant! She had goals... _aspirations_ she still wanted to accomplish! She hadn't even had her first kiss, yet!

And yet, she was forced to contemplate her own mortality at the hands of people she'd never heard of... all because they wanted to kill All Might. Yes, she'd been scared.

But this... this wasn't her. Midoriya... he wasn't weak. He wasn't even hurt. Surprised, maybe. But she doubted he was in there, breaking at the seams like a toy that had its stitching ripped off. No, she was losing her wits because... she had no idea what to _do_.

The stress was eating her alive. The uncertainty. The fact that she was consumed by guilt. Secrets had... always been a little bit rough on her. She was a social person - secrets were just locks to doors that she wanted to go through. Normally, she'd end up blurting the secret out, or she'd confront the person and convince them to be open - if they were comfortable with it. But this...

This wasn't a meager secret.

She couldn't _look_ at Midoriya the same. Sure, she saw his cute smile, radiant eyes, infectious smile... and it all seemed to glow a bit brighter, knowing what she knew now. But she also couldn't accept that every time she looked at him, she might see him for the last time.

All of her thoughts stopped at once.

 _...For the last time..._

That... that was... wrong.

It was correct, but it was wrong. She actually felt a bit of shame creep up on her. _She'd been thinking about everything so wrong_.

Every time she looked at _any_ of her classmates, whether that be Kaminari, Yaoyorozu, Shoji, _even the teachers,_ there was the same prospect looming over their heads that was looming over Midoriya's - they might not be there tomorrow. Everyone was training to be a hero... _everyone_ was going into a profession that included death as a possible outcome. Midoriya's circumstances were... tragic, at best, but... it wasn't like he was alone.

She'd been fusing over his future, and ignoring their present. _Her_ present.

"A-Ashido?"

She blinked.

"Are you okay...?" Kirishima said, all evidence of his defiant stance having faded away with his growing concern. A pang of guilt slipped through her chest, but she pushed it aside, and smiled sheepishly, rubbing at her arm.

 _It was time to get back on track_. "Yeah. I... you're right." Kirishima blinked; he obviously didn't expect things to go the way they were. "I've been a bit out of it. I think I'm just stressed, but that's no excuse. I'm sorry..."

"I-I mean... it's not all your fault. I guess I should've been a bit more aware of what I was sayin'. That's not very manly of me, is it?" He said, rubbing at the back of his head. Mina almost snorted; his concern with manliness was rather spontaneous, concerning his demeanor in middle school, but ever since she'd seen this change of his, she'd just decided to let him figure it out on his own. No amount of her own involvement was going to fix anything in his life, especially since the two weren't precisely best friends prior to their induction at U.A.

Even so, she appreciated his apology, especially considering he didn't even have to give her one.

"If, you know, you need to talk..." Kirishima trailed off, but his meaning was loud and clear, and Mina couldn't help but smile in appreciation.

She nodded. "Yeah, I hear ya. I just gotta figure some things out."

It was hard to ignore Jirou's pointed gaze, but somehow, she managed to keep her eyes focused on the red-haired teen, and away from the prying eyes of one hearing heroine. As much as she wanted to avoid thinking about it, she had already come to the conclusion that Jirou knew something. What that something was... she didn't know.

But come the training camp, she'd sit the punk-rock girl down and figure it out.

Though it seemed like hours, it was only a handful of minutes that passed before a familiar green-haired classmate emerged from the police tent, looking a little shaken up, but no worse for wear - especially considering his history of injuries. His jade eyes were tired, clouded with multiple emotions, and there were faint bags under his eyes, along with a slight sag in his posture.

In an effort to lighten the mood, Kaminari grinned and offered Midoriya a thumbs up, along with a poorly thought out greeting. "Wow, look at that - everything's intact!"

A few glares caused him to clam up as he put his hands up in defense, while Midoriya blinked in surprise, and sheepishly rubbed his arm, averting his fatigued gaze. Uraraka immediately rushed up to him, but he delicately pushed her away, his eyes not meeting hers. _Huh_. _When had that happened?_

Their interactions had always been... warm. Bubbly. Honestly, those two ended up being the talk of the girls more often than not, just because of the presumed connection between them. They were the two most innocent people in the class, fueled by invisible feelings that may - or may not - be hovering around them, gently fueling their awkward, teenage interactions. In the hectic lifestyle that was the heroics course, the encounters they shared - and the stories - were a welcomed change of pace.

But if they weren't talking...?

Mina thought back to earlier, when Uraraka had run off, leaving Midoriya behind without a second thought. Maybe that wasn't quite right... technically, she might not have meant to, but nonetheless, she had _definitely_ left him behind, but there had been no indication of why. Had something happened then? Or did something happen before that? Uraraka hadn't been acting strange when Midoriya and Bakugou were taking their exam... so it had to be _very_ recent.

Uraraka looked like she wanted to say something, but didn't seem bothered by Midoriya's silent request for space, though it had likely been because she's all but jumped up on him. Instead, she bit her tongue and went quiet, allowing others to swamp Midoriya, to his obvious discomfort. He gave them short, quiet replies, obviously trying to avoid sounding impolite.

"L-listen, I... I-I gotta make a call, I'm sorry," Midoriya finally stammered out, cutting out any further questions. No one questioned him any further, and gave him room to head outside. He ducked his head and quietly walked away, his face set in stone, his eyes clouded over as his mind drifted to his thoughts, no doubt about what he'd been exposed to.

And for Mina, as security began to escort the hordes of confused shoppers out of the confines of the mall, she stared at the back of the boy she'd come to learn was leagues deeper than he appeared, and she couldn't help but wonder...

 _What had he heard...?_

* * *

 ** _Not my proudest chapter. I wasn't super happy with how it came out, but I think it pushes things forward again, and next chapter, we'll be in the Summer Camp Arc, where things can ACTUALLY happen. Expect Ashido and Midoriya to interact, and expect more canon-deviance. Otherwise, there's nothing else to add... sorry if this was a rather boring chapter._**

 ** _Responses:_**

evolvelove : Thank you for you support!

TruWarrior : Thanks! She's a bit difficult to write at first, mostly because of her various ways she can be portrayed. She's depicted as rather easy-going and sturdy, but yet, we've seen various instances of her emotional side, so this chapter was an allusion to the multiple times we've seen her kinda "freak out" during the course of the manga. She'll outgrow it, but I think it's something important to include.

32Dog : You are totally right, the second you pointed that out, I went and fixed it. I had no idea I'd done that - good eyes!

BukkakeNoJutsu: I think it's kinda skimmed over when it comes to the impact Midoriya has on his classmates. Plus, a fight against All Might? Shouldn't that have been THE pinnacle of fighting? I dunno, I thought it was worth highlighting in this chapter.

Dragontitan: The romance will be painfully slow, but it'll build gradually.

Jss2141: Here's a bit of look into it. Hopefully it meets expectation!

Guest: YASS, SHOTO!

Cr7Savage: Yeah, the balance is super hard to get, because I don't want to confuse people reading, but yet, I also know too much myself, so I gotta reign everything back in and pace it - which, unfortunately, is not easy, haha. I think with more time, I'll find that correct pacing, but for now, I'll have to keep tweaking things and work on it. As for Bakugou - it's important to remember that Mina worked with him first, and she won't just decide he's a hating scumbag. She might not agree with everything, but she doesn't know everything yet. That being said, I, myself, think people overlook his faults, because he's something fun to change, but there's a balance to find with him, too. Finally, I agree he is strong physically, and yes, working out can prevent shoulder subluxation and dislocation. However, there is another facet to consider. No matter how much you work out, an explosion of the magnitude that Bakugou can produce are easily strong enough to dislocate a shoulder in any directly, _especially_ in an anterior direction. With that considered, there's no doubt of the musculoskeletal adaptations that his body has become accustomed to as he's aged. Working out helps, yes, but there's definitely physiological adaptations that have occurred, too. Thanks for the review :)

Pleaseworkforonce: I'm glad to hear that! I hope to keep it going!

Guest: I actually just got approved for that website, and will likely be posting there in the future, as well!

Guest: Thank you!


	5. 5: Where We Heal

**Just in case I need to, if you are an Anime Only friend, then I suggest you turn away, because in this house, we use SPOILERS! That's right, there are spoilers for the anime, and if you aren't up to date with the manga (or at least a little ahead) you'll be mad. Warning made from here on out.**

Upon waking, the first thing that Ashido realized was that she was not very comfortable. Her stomach was empty, her bladder seemed oddly full, the skin around her arm felt kind of itchy, and the sheets she had wrapped around her body were far from soft. There was also a stray beam of sunlight that was flickering in and out of sight, periodically lining up perfectly to hit her in the face, which was fairly aggravating to wake up to.

She groaned, shimmied down the bed ever so slightly, and sighed when she was relieved of the glaring sunlight.

 _One problem solved, only about four left._

It was then she realized - she wasn't at the camp. In fact, she wasn't really sure _where_ she was.

Her eyes opened suddenly, and she felt her heart rate quicken as she frantically looked around the room, trying to identify at least _one_ telling sign of where she was. She paused her search as her eyes landed on her backpack, along with her school uniform, and a few balloons that hung silently in the air, red, blue and pink in color, reminder her of her birthdays as a child.

But why... why were there balloons? And why...

 _Why was she in a hospital bed...?_

At least twenty questions danced through her head as she carefully examined her room, looking for any additional hints that might explain why she was bed-bound and _in a freaking hospital, instead of being at the summer camp!_

There was another bed in the room with her, separated by what appeared to be a curtain, although it was drawn back, reducing any privacy she might have had. Mina shuddered; she _really_ hoped her room companion was another girl - or, at the very least, _not_ Mineta. She doubted he'd do anything to her in her sleep - he was leechy and pervy, but he wasn't a _complete_ asshole - but she didn't want to take any chances, either. Plus, now that she was awake, there'd be nothing stopping him.

A flush from the attached bathroom gave Mina a sudden idea of where her bunkmate was, and she debated feigning sleep so that she would be able to get an idea of who she was with, but before she could, the door opened, and the pink girl found herself gazing into the surprised, wide eyes of Asui Tsuyu. It might have seemed weird to Tsuyu, but she sighed in relief; it _wasn't_ Mineta.

"Gero. You're awake."

Mina smiled, trying to sit up, without having the sun blast her in the face again. "Yeah; I just woke up. How long have we been here...?"

"Not long. The attack was last night."

"Attack...?"

And suddenly, it all came rushing back to Mina. The Courage Test. The sudden gas that spread throughout the forest. The mysterious flaming man that appeared before Aizawa, and conveniently avoided capture. The declaration of war against the invading villains.

Midoriya.

If Mina could have thrown up, it was debatable whether or not she would have. Her stomach lurched as she recalled the mangled sight of Midoriya's arms, the blood that dripped down his shattered appendages like it was water flowing from the tap, the way if you looked close enough, you _might_ have been able to spy where the bone protruded against the surface of the skin...

Honestly, out of anything Ashido had _ever_ witnessed, the mere sight of her classmate's body was enough to send wave after wave of nausea throughout her body, and she was sure she'd almost heaved then, too. But as soon as the sensation came and went, she began to panic - where the _fuck_ was Midoriya now?! Was he in the hospital with them?! Surely he hadn't...

He hadn't died, right?

"Ashido." Tsuyu's flat, calm voice broke through Mina's hyperventilating - _she was hyperventilating? -_ and, slowly, the pink girl began to slow her breathing, the torrid of thoughts slowing to a turtle's pace, giving her time to think evenly. "It's okay."

 _Was it, though? Was it really okay?_

"I... _yeah._ Yeah. It's okay." Ashido said, more to herself than anything else. It was debatable whether things were truly okay or not, but without a basis of knowledge, she couldn't exactly fight her friend on the matter. Not to mention, if Tsuyu was this calm, it probably meant that everyone was alive, and somewhere within the hospital... probably _not_ on critical life support, or anything horrific like that.

But that didn't mean that she wanted to remain in the dark any longer.

"How is everyone...?" Mina asked quietly.

"Gero." Tsuyu looked skeptical, as if the answer would be too much. And, admittedly, Mina wasn't exactly sure if it would be, or not. She was still reeling from the memory of her classmate looking like he'd gone several rounds with an enraged All Might. "There were a lot of injuries. I heard that Pixie-Bob is still recovering from hers. Jirou and Hagakure... have not woken up from their exposure to the gas, but they're stable."

"Mmm." While she was glad that a majority of her classmates remained unscathed, she couldn't help how her heart seemed to sink when she heard that two of her closer friends were unconscious, and presumably hurt from the toxic gas they were exposed to. While Ashido hadn't been allowed in the fight, that hadn't stopped her from trying.

"Mina."

The pink girl looked up, having become distracted by her thoughts.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah... I'm okay..."

Tsuyu croaked again. "You're here because you fainted. This was a traumatic experience. It's okay to not be alright."

She knew that.

The stress of everything - paired on top of the rather gruesome sight of Midoriya's injuries - had been enough to cause her body to shut down, overwhelmed by the sudden influx of fear. It was... embarrassing, but she knew that she wasn't the only person to be overcome by emotion, and she would hardly be the last. Nobody would be bouncing back from these events anytime soon.

"What about Midoriya?"

The frog-like girl froze.

"Mina..." However, seeing the firm stance the pink-girl had adopted, Tsuyu stopped what she was going to say, and bowed her head. "He was hurt badly. He's still recovering. Bakugou... is also missing."

 _What...?_

Ice seemed to freeze within her veins. The news about Midoriya was... roughly, expected. His condition had been what had driven her - and probably many others - over the edge. But Bakugou had been captured? Despite the Pussycat Heroes... and Aizawa's presence? What about Blood King? Had he just been dwaddling around?! How had they _lost_ someone?!

She couldn't even begin to imagine the horrors that were running through his parent's heads... the terror they were probably feeling...

Bakugou had never been a _pleasant_ guy, there was no sugarcoating that. She disliked his attitude, she disliked his stance on pretty much everything he stood for, and she certainly disliked his treatment of his fellow classmates. But... she didn't _hate_ him. He was just as much of a mystery as many of her classmates, and until she knew what made him tick, she wouldn't - and couldn't - properly judge him. He was a tenacious person, with plenty of drive, and that dedication was the same dedication that had helped her through the tournament during the Sports Festival.

She couldn't help but admire it.

His power was nothing to scoff at. He'd truly taken his quirk and made it the most complete version it could be. It almost made her jealous of how refined it seemed. For something as abrasive as an explosion, it seemed to radiate control and precision - which were two words that Ashido would never have thought she'd paired with something as raging as an explosion.

But yet, he'd displayed the utmost control over his devastating quirk, and she had to respect him for that.

"Is he...?" Mina trailed off. Was he... what? Alive? How would Tsuyu know? How would _anyone_ know?

"He was unharmed when he was taken. That's what Shoji said, at least," Asui said calmly. Mina would admit, the frog-girl was taking this significantly better than anyone else would've. Maybe it was because she was properly acclimated to the news? Then again, she had always been something of a pillar - able to keep the people around her in a stable mindset, despite the turmoil that might be raging around them.

Though, it was clear that she was uneasy, as if she was concerned with how Mina would react. The pink girl wanted to scoff; sure, she was emotional, but who wouldn't be? These were her classmates - her friends! Their pain was her pain, and their... disappearance was concerning, no matter who it was. Hell, she would've been scared for even someone like Mineta! It didn't matter who - they mattered, all the same.

But being emotional wouldn't help, would it? Thinking logically, there was nothing she could do - at least, not stuck in her room like this. Her own problems were take precedence, and until she was let loose, she'd just be locked away, unable to help. And once she was able to see her classmates, bombarding them with questions wouldn't really help either. They were probably already scared. The last thing they needed was a reminder of what they'd lost...

She wanted to be with her friends. To _help_ them.

The thought having set in her mind, Mina began to fuddle around, trying to wriggle her way out of bed. She felt a yanking on her arm, glancing over to see an IV attached to her arm, and she grimaced; leaving wasn't going to be easy.

"If you want to get out, you'll have to wait for your parents to sign you out. Gero."

She groaned; _that was going to take forever._

* * *

To Mina's relief, her discharge did _not_ take forever, and she was out of the room in less than a few hours. The nurses were pleased to see her bounding around, jumping with her limitless energy replenished, although Mina wasn't sure how much of it was real, and how much was forced.

There wasn't much reason to be excited.

First, and foremost, Ashido decided to stop in and see Hagakure. As she'd been informed by Tsuyu, the invisible girl was (presumably) unconscious, and the heart monitor that was set up had a bunch of different numbers on it. There was no noise, contrary to what the movies had led the pink girl to believe. There was no beeping. There was no clicking of machines. There was just silence.

And it was unnerving.

Hagakure's father and mother were both in the room, and greeted Mina as she walked in, but that was as far as the conversation went. It was clear that neither parent had much to say as they eagerly awaited their daughter's return to consciousness. It was always a bit strange; Toru was a very social person, but her parents were complete opposites. That wasn't to say they were unfriendly or anything like that, but perhaps it was because of their jobs, or maybe it was just who they were, but they were fairly quiet people who managed to speak more through their expressions than their words. Which, looking at Toru, Mina realized how hard it must have been, growing up.

She _had_ to be the complete opposite, and - if nature versus nurture had any say - she probably struggled to express herself immensely as a child, because her parents never taught her otherwise. It wasn't their fault - after all, who could've guessed their child would just become invisible...? According to Hagakure, she hadn't just been born invisible, otherwise being an infant might have ended much differently...

Secretly, Ashido admired Toru's ability to express herself, despite her... obvious transparency. Of course, it was clear that the girl was struggling with her invisibility, and often sought out various ways of standing out further, but mostly, she was doing her best, and finding ways to stand out. It was that sort of dedication that Mina appreciated.

When the silence became too much, Ashido excused herself from the room, and tried to appear as if she wasn't rushing from the room.

It was too much; the silence, the lack of movement...

The reality of everything.

With a sigh, Mina made her way through the halls of the hospital, trying to keep the downcast expression from her face, but yet, when she glanced at the screen of her phone, she could see her reflection. She grimaced; she wasn't having much luck on that front, it seemed.

She played around with the idea of visiting Jirou, but decided against that idea as she saw Jirou's entire family had accumulated in the room, leaving little room to maneuver. She'd pay the earjack-hero a visit later on, once a bit of her family left the premise. She had also stopped by Yaoyorozu's room, however, there was a bit of a commotion inside, with more than a few police officers inside, conversing with the tall girl. What that was about, Mina didn't know - and, she didn't particularly want to know.

There was already enough drama in her life; she didn't need more.

Just as her phone buzzed, Mina looked up, and caught an eyeful or red-hair turning the corner, lifting her mood instantly. She rushed over the corner she'd seen her friend walk around, and picked up her pace, spying out the hard-headed teenager, with his hands lodged firmly in his pockets.

"Hey, Kirishima, wait up!" She called.

He paused, but didn't quite turn around to meet her. She slowed her pace as she approached, a few visual queues giving her subtle warnings about the mood he was in. "Kirishima...?"

"Hm." He grunted.

It wasn't exactly a scowl, but his face was far from the jovial smile he typically wore. "Are you... okay?"

"I'm fine," he responded shortly.

Slowly, she shook her head. "You don't seem fine."

He snorted, but remained silent otherwise. His eyes focused forward, as if set on some invisible goal that hung there, calling out to him. She glanced ahead, making sure she wasn't missing anything, frowning when she saw nothing, before turning back to her friend. "Talk to me. What's on your mind?"

The grimace on his face told her exactly what she was suspecting; _he wasn't talking_. Maybe it was the stress of everything, or maybe something had happened - she didn't quite know which. But she could tell he was internally torn up over something, and whatever that something was, it had him clammed up tight.

"Kirishima." This time, there was no question. "Look at me."

Red eyes lazily met amber eyes.

"This isn't your fault."

His jaw tightened. _Bingo_.

"Who said it was?" He asked, though there was more than a little strain in his voice.

Ashido folded her arms across her chest. "You think I can't see the guilt in your eyes?"

It was a little _too_ obvious, she thought. Kirishima had become a prideful person once he adopted his new look, but not in an arrogant sense, or even prideful like Bakugou. He didn't radiate confidence, he didn't put complete faith in his abilities, and he didn't fight for pride alone. But he did believe in 'being a man', or whatever it was that he insisted on - and some small voice told her that losing one of your close friends _wasn't_ manly.

"So what?" Kirishima finally admitted, barely keeping the rage from his voice. "He was _taken_ from us, Ashido! Midoriya was nearly _killed_!" The pink-girl winced at that. "And, all while most of our class fought for their lives, what was I doing...? I'll tell you... nothing..." He seemed to deflate as he finished speaking, looking forward once more.

"If you're to blame, then so am I."

Kirishima stiffened, and sharply turned his head so that he could look Ashido directly in her eye. "W-what?"

"You heard me." Defiance clearly stuck in her tone.

"That's not true. It wasn't your fault."

"What kind of hypocrite are you?" All traces of patience had evaporated from Mina's words. The red-head winced as her words sharply cut across his frustration like a hot knife through butter. "We were stuck in the training class for the _same reason_. What the fuck do you mean it's not my fault?"

Clearly, Kirishima was surprised at Ashido's crass words, and his posture spoke more than any word could have meant. "I... I just..."

Mina huffed, but with her sigh, she felt her frustration ebb away. "Look, I know you're mad. I'm mad, too. But... that doesn't give you the right to assign blame to yourself for something you had absolutely no control over. You didn't know the villains were going to attack, and you definitely didn't know that things were going to go the way they did. If you did know, then sure, blame yourself all you want. But you know Aizawa wasn't going to let you leave, nor was Blood King. And... while I don't agree with Blood King staying behind... he was just doing his job."

"But what about Bakugou... what about Midoriya? What about Tokoyami, Shoji, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu...? What about our _class_?" Kirishima asked quietly.

Mina's gaze turned downward. "I guess... that's just part of our job..."

"It's not right," He growled. "It's not fair."

Part of her wanted to laugh, but she knew it would sound hollow.

Of course it wasn't fair. Nothing about heroics was _meant_ to be fair. They were fighting people - men and women, who had the same gifts they did - that were trying to hurt, kill, steal, and kidnap innocent people, all because they _could_. Sometimes, the villains were left with nothing; a result of tragedy. Sometimes, life dealt them a shitty hand, and the only way they felt that they could play the game, was to fight back with lethal force. Sometimes, people were just psychotic.

But the whole purpose of heroes fighting back was to try and undo the unjust - the right the wrong. Where there was wrong, there was something that was unfair. Heroes tried to be that source of fair... but that just made their job all the harder.

"Yeah... I know..."

A moment passed, neither teenager speaking as they absorbed the chilling reality that they'd been exposed to. Twice, now, they'd been forced to fight for their lives, while older and stronger individuals tried to kill them for no reason, other than to send a message. They weren't being hunted because of who they were - they were being hunted, because deranged villains wanted U.A. to know that they were vulnerable.

It made Mina want to hurl; how fucking insane was that? Killing... to send a message? Wasn't that the same thing that Stain was doing? Was that really how people came to understand messages nowadays? Through aimless murder?

"L-listen... I'm going to see Midoriya. Maybe see if he's awake; do you want to come...?"

For the first time since she'd woken up, she felt a genuine smile cross her lips.

"Yeah. I'd like that."

* * *

He wasn't awake, to Mina's disappointment.

In fact, with the way he was wrapped up, something akin to a mummy, there was a very quiet, lingering voice in Mina's mind that whispered, _'will he ever wake up...?',_ and it took her entire willpower (and then some) to not walk up her green-haired classmate and shake him until he began to stammer and blubber in the way only he could.

Maybe she would've done it... if he hadn't looked so... _fragile_.

The way his arms were bound, thickly wrapped and kept firmly to his sides, seemed almost like overkill, but then she remembered the horrific sight of his mangled appendages, and she suddenly wondered if that was _enough_ bandage. Kirishima had been hesitant to approach Midoriya's still form, and for once, Mina didn't comment. It was only sensible, she reasoned.

There was no telling what was running through his head, but if his thoughts were anything similar to her's, then she couldn't blame him at all.

A small burst of courage had pushed her to walk over to the edge of his bed, just so that she could see him a little closer. She whimpered mutely as she traced her fingers along his bandaged arm, feeling the wrappings brush against the tips of her fingers. It wasn't right, seeing him like this. He'd been hurt before, absolutely. But this...

This was a whole new level.

"He's been running a high fever..." Kirishima broke the thick silence, drawing Mina's attention to him, but only momentarily. "They think he'll be fine, but..."

 _But... anything can happen._

Mina knew that. She'd never _seen_ anyone die. She'd never lost a family member, or grandparent, and for that, she considered herself blessed. But she'd seen movies, and she'd watched television shows, and she'd even read online journals and books - all of which had instances of people dying. She knew it was very real... but there was one thing that those forms of media had failed to do for her.

They'd never prepared her for the chance of it happening.

It was like there was a weight in her stomach, pulling her heart down with it, and the light that glimmered into the hospital room somehow seemed dark. The spark of energy she typically felt was gone, and with it, the motivation she'd felt going into the training camp. With Midoriya in bed, completely unresponsive, she felt...

 _Broken._

"H-he has awoken once, though."

She blinked.

"He... has?" She craned her head to look at Kirishma, before looking back at Midoriya's still body. Her fingers lightly ran across his shoulder - a part of him that wasn't bandaged - and again, she felt a whimper rise up at the back of her throat.

Kirishima cleared his throat weakly, almost afraid to speak. "He was... kinda out of it, from what I heard. Delusional, I guess. Probably had something to do with the fever..."

It made sense, not that Mina knew much about medicine. She glanced over at his heart monitor, trying to make something out of the various numbers that were on the screen, but like Toru's room, she couldn't really decipher what all the lines and numbers meant. She had a general idea for some of them... like his blood pressure (which seemed a little low), and his heart rate, which coincidentally seemed high.

But others, such as 98 that seemed isolated from everything else, along with the rising and falling line, which Mina knew was the rhythm of his heart, meant less to her. She wasn't sure what a good heart rate looked like, and what a bad heart rate looked like. Honestly, guessing from the stuff she'd seen, his looked fast, but otherwise, normal?

"I can't believe he was able to stand all this pain..." Mina murmured.

"He did it to save that Kota kid."

Mina froze. _The pussycat heroes kid...?_

"W-what...?"

Kirshima rubbed his knuckle with his other hand, pursing his lips momentarily, before speaking again. "Kota; you know, that kid? I... I heard from someone that Midoriya saved him. I guess some really strong villain cornered Kota away from everyone else, but Midoriya knew where to go, and... yeah. They had a huge fight. Midoriya ended up shattering his upper body, but... he beat the villain, _and_ saved Kota."

Mina gaped. " _He_ saved Kota?!"

She remembered Aizawa delivering the small boy, who had seemed paralyzed by fear upon arrival. At the time, Mina hadn't really thought much of him - there was a bit of blood on his clothes, but he didn't appear to have any open wounds, and he seemed rather alert, so it must have come from someone else, she'd reasoned. But never... had she imagined that _Midoriya_ had saved him...

She'd only caught a passing glance of him, and even then, he'd looked awful. The source of the blood suddenly made sense, but... what kind of villain had driven him to such lengths...?

Kirishima snorted softly, and Ashido instantly looked over at the boy, curious of the cause. "Remember how close he was to bein' suspended...?"

"Expelled..." Mina correctly quietly, remembering their first day. Even remembering that day - a day in which she didn't particularly care about, knowing she'd be able to place in the upper echelon - the corners of her lips turned upward in a smile. "He really taught us something, didn't he...?"

"He was the first guy to really embody 'Plus Ultra', huh?" Kirishima echoed.

There was no denying the truth - she _hadn't_ cared about anyone on that first day of class. It wasn't because she was being snobby, or because she didn't care what happened to them, but in retrospect, she also didn't know anyone, either. Hagakure was just an invisible voice. Asui was a girl who looked like a frog. Aoyama was just a strange boy who spoke French occasionally. Midoriya was a skittish teenager. The list went on and on.

But even in that first day, everyone managed to break that baseline impression in their own unique ways.

Shoji was no longer just a tall, multi-armed teenager - he was a quiet, gentle person, whose strength was impressive, but his versatility of his quirk was even more impressive. And, he was relatively kind, if not a tad bit mischievous.

Kaminari became more than just a kid with yellow hair. Despite the drawback to his quirk - and his attempts to flirt with her on the first day - he proved he was kind, if not a little strange. He didn't seem overly enthusiastic in heroics, but then, he was there all the same, and Mina began to realize that everyone was there for different reasons.

Bakugou was no longer just a loud-mouth. He was a _vulgar_ loud-mouth, with very little self-restraint, and even less humility.

Then there was Midoriya...

The way he changed was staggering. He had never _lost_ that quiet, bashful personality, and every single time Mina glanced over at him - before and after she discovered his secret - he was stammering and quaking, with Uraraka invading his large personal bubble. Then, she saw something in him that changed the very way he appeared. The explosion of confidence, the sudden blooming of defiance... the glint that appeared in his eye when he stared down one of the presumed strongest students in the class, with no quirk yet to speak of.

They'd only seen it once - and it was a _doozy_.

But yet, his reluctance to wield its fierce power left everyone a bit confused. How could someone hold _that_ much power, and _not_ be the strongest in the class? How could someone - who was already drawing comparisons with _All Might,_ of all people, not be a confident, borderline arrogant person?! How could Midoriya... settle for being so... plain?

She needed to stand out, personally. Maybe it was because of her skin, and she knew that deep down, she'd never really blend into the background, no matter how hard she tried. It was ingrained in her, from birth, that she'd be standing out, one way or another. And, for awhile, she was on the fence about it, but once she realized the rush that came with being in the spotlight, she drank it all in. It was almost intoxicating, and it became just another part of her - center stage was where she belonged.

Yet, Midoriya was the total opposite.

He wanted to be as far in the back as humanly possible - the closest to the exit, so to speak. He didn't care about the attention, or the glory. He was content with fading away. He probably would've lived in everyone's shadow... but, there was one single thing that kept him away from the safety of the shadows.

The one thing he desired above all else... to save people.

And he found a way to go above and beyond. Butchering himself against Todoroki, practically sacrificing himself for All Might during the USJ, now this? It seemed like he lived a double-standard, because as long as he kept shattering the sky like he was, he'd never really fall into the safe, familiar confines of the background. He'd be forced into the limelight.

Mina respected that, though.

She had no problem sharing the spotlight, and something had told her that once she'd arrived at U.A., she'd have to get acclimated toward losing her place in the center of the stage. There would be more powerful people, with more charisma (unlikely, but still possible), and at the end of the day, they'd just... _belong_ there. People like Bakugou and Todoroki were _made_ for the spotlight, but they didn't quite fit the entire picture... someone like Midoriya did. But he didn't want to be there, which surprised Mina, but at the same time, she still respected it.

"He has to be okay..." Kirishima mumbled to himself.

Somehow, Mina found herself thinking the same, despite the lingering, whispering voice of her self-doubt saying he wouldn't be. She touched his curly hair, resisting the temptation to run her hand through it, and felt the corners of her mouth tug upward.

"You don't get to quit on us yet, dude..." She drew her hand back, ignoring how cold she suddenly felt without the little physical contact. "There's a lot of questions I have."

Kirishima looked at her oddly, and it was then that she'd realized: she'd made a grave mistake. Her muscles stiffened under Kirishima's gaze, and a bead of sweat appeared on her temple, but she remained silent, hoping that, with her back to him, he wouldn't see the panic on her face. But she could see him from the corner of her eye - and he was confused.

"Questions...? Like, school stuff?" He asked slowly. "Isn't it a bit odd to be thinking of school right now?"

"Ha... yeah, I guess so. I just, I guess I'm getting ahead of myself, thinking of things going back to normal..." It was like dodging bullets, left and right. She'd never grown up an actress, and she'd never really involved herself in the visual arts like drama, but after this, she was tempted to give it a shot.

The red-haired boy's face gave her one last odd glance, before he clenched his fist. "You're right though; things will be normal again, soon." A low beep came from his pocket, and he removed his phone. "Damn, my ride's here. I gotta get goin', I guess."

He walked forward - remaining mindful of Midoriya's status - and placed a hand on Mina's shoulder. "What about you? You hangin' around here?"

She shook her head. "My parents are here - they're just talking to my mom's friend... she works here as a nurse. I guess I'll be going soon, too."

"Want me to walk you out?"

 _No._ She thought. _I... I don't want to leave him yet..._

But she gave the green-haired boy one last glance, drinking in the broken appearance he adorned - a symbol of how far he was willing to go - and when she felt her breath quiver, she turned away, unable to look any longer.

"Yeah. Please."

 _She'd be back, and next time, he'd be awake._

 _She was sure of it._

* * *

 ** _Allow the canon-deviation to continue!_**

 ** _You're probably wondering: why didn't you write about the Summer Camp? And I'll tell you - Ashido was in the extra courses, for one. That made it so that she was unable to really have free time. Secondly, the students were separated - I know that for the sake of the story, I could've changed that, but I didn't really like any of the concepts I came up with, so instead, I went here._**

 ** _The last two-to-three chapters have been a bit slow, and I apologize for that. I need to get things into a place where they can really develop, and right now, I want to establish a difference from the manga, without radically altering much. And, at the same time, I'm trying to demonstrate that Mina is more acclimated to the weight of the secret she holds. That's the reason for the jumping in time-frame._**

 ** _Next chapter, we'll actually see some REAL developments, and there's a LOT that's going to begin happening. I, for one, would almost like to apologize for what I'm going to do to you guys soon... but, I mean, I don't like it, either. It's just something I think that would REALLY push development._**

 ** _So yeah!_**

 ** _Onto the responses:_**

seether0001106: Is Lenny face appropriate here? Is that... is this... can I just place the Lenny face and we call it a day...?

Dragontitan: There's so much that can happen? But, of course, Jirou is out like a light, and that's not happening... yet.

Thegr8tn8t: Oh, I appreciate it! Get ready, the big things are coming!

michaeltop10: Thank you; I appreciate that! Interactions are the big thing for me, and I'm glad I could capture them.

Dorngok Sekker: I'm a slow-burn kinda guy. It makes it feel more natural, in a way. Thank you for reviewing!

QuirkQuartz : For long reviews, I always prefer PM'ing the response, but I also still like to make a little ditty here. Thanks for checking the story out - your own story helped determine how the pacing should be, and it really helps to know that people enjoy the things I do, especially when they are well-known for doing their own things. So I appreciate the view, and the kind words!

Disturbed911: It's kind of challenging to write her POV, no lie. It's a little masked, and since her history is unknown when it comes to family and all, I have to pull strings! Haha.

ultimate mayhem: Mmm, thank you!

dgj212: Isn't that how it always starts ;) Haha, kidding. But I think she's the type that would really investigate herself - and him - when it comes to romance.

WhenItCOUNTS: Oh my... oh my... GOODNESS! I forget and I'm actually disappointed in myself.

 **Oh yeah, and if you made it this far, the next chapter will be up within the next 7 days of this one being posted. Just a head's up. So if you want action and all, it's coming, no worries.**


	6. 6: Confrontation!

There were a lot of times that Ashido truly couldn't understand what went through the head's of her classmates. Sometimes, the ideas they came up with just seemed ridiculous - funny, perhaps, but completely out the norm. She could see the suspicious gleam in Aizawa's eye every single time one of her classmates approached him with a question that was not related to class, and it didn't take much effort to understand why that look existed.

The ideas they came up with could sometimes be kind-hearted and driven by their positive outlook and desire to help. Those were the most pure ideas. Little birthday celebrations, spontaneous hangouts when someone had a particularly hard day; things like that, which restored Mina's faith in her friends.

But then there were the hair-brained ideas.

The ones that were driven by emotion. The decisions that were fueled by the raging desire to make up for a mistake, or ease the burning guilt that sat in their heart like a smoldering chunk of lead. The decisions that held upside, but their consequences could be deadly. The same decisions that were made because they were all trying to be heroes - and rightly, or wrongly, they'd get there.

Unless they died, of course.

"Did you not listen to me?!"

Ashido wasn't an angry person. She didn't snap at people commonly, she didn't yell, or raise her voice regularly, and she rarely let her rage take on the spotlight, since it was rather embarrassing to admit she'd blown her lid in front of everyone. Instead, she preferred to be jovial (or sad), and had no problem letting other people argue, while she remained on the sideline, trying to play damage control.

But this time...? This time Kirishima had managed to outdo himself.

It wasn't the idea of him going to save Bakugou - there was no doubt in her mind that _someone_ was going to come up with the idea of going to save their resident explosion-expert. If Midoriya hadn't been bedridden, she would've been expecting him to come up with the idea, since he and Bakugou had the whole... possible childhood friends thing going on. Kirishma was the next closest person to a 'friend' that Bakugou had, so, no, Mina wasn't surprised he'd decided to take it upon himself to break the rules and try to save their classmate.

But the reason he was going was crossing the line - considering they'd _just_ spoke a few days prior.

"You can't talk me out of this, Mina."

"DON'T!" She hissed, before taking a deep breath to ease the flames that licked at her words. "Don't act buddy-buddy with me after choosing to go on this... this... _vigilante raid_!"

Kirishima stood, unflinching from the barrage of emotions. His eyes locked onto hers, and she could clearly see the defiance that glimmered in the depths of his red orbs, only serving to stroke her temper further. It took all her concentration to avoid secreting acid from her pores - a side-effect of high emotional outbursts. When she became overly excited, or in cases like this, infuriated, she had a tendency to accidentally activate her quirk, resulting in embarrassing moments of nudity.

And quite frankly, if she burned through one of her favorite shirts, she was going to _lose it._

"You can't talk me out of this." Kirishima repeated, and for a second, Mina wondered if he was saying to dissuade her from trying, or to persuade himself to remain steadfast in his decision. "I'm going."

"Why is that?" Mina whispered, trying to keep the emotion from her words. She _was_ genuinely curious what suddenly drove the red-headed teen to such a length. Not only would he - and anyone who went along - be risking his place at U.A, but he was also risking his _life_. There was no replacing that. For Kirishima to be so eager to jump into a hideout, littered with the scum of the Earth...

He either cared _a lot_ , or he wasn't thinking straight.

And for the life of her, Mina couldn't figure out which was the case.

"I need to save him." It was almost enough to calm the pink-skinned girl down. _Almost_.

"You don't need to do _shit_." Rage slipped onto her tongue once more, demanding its presence be acknowledged. At the very least, Kirishima was going to have _plenty_ to think about if he survived. With nobody around - Mina having opted to corner the hardening quirk-user outside - there was nobody to stop her tirade, lest someone accidentally stumble across the scene.

A moment passed, Kirishima remaining silent, as if he had nothing productive to contribute. He continued to stare into her eyes, his jaw set and his gaze firm - not unlike his quirk. Ashido studied him silently, still fuming. He really _wasn't_ going to bend on the ordeal. He was, for better or for worse, dead-set on going, and whomever he pulled with him... was just as suicidal as he was.

Maybe that's why she was so mad, though. She hadn't admitted it, but looking at the plan behind this mission... it was akin to suicide. The head-honcho of the Villain's Alliance, the guy who could disintegrate anything he touched, was nothing to be ignorant of. He'd almost _killed_ Aizawa... and he also had the aid of gigantic Nomu's... creatures designed to _kill_ All Might.

 _"I said that All-For-One could give quirks to others, right? He made others trust him or surrender to him by giving them quirks. But apparently, there were many given quirks who could not bear the burden, and became living dolls that couldn't speak. Just like the Nomus."_

 _..._ If Kirishima went... and he brought a team with him... there was a high chance that they'd be running into _him_.

All-For-One.

They'd have no idea what they'd be running into... and they'd be completely at his mercy. Truthfully, Ashido didn't know very much about All-For-One. He was shrouded in mystery... with a quirk that seemed _impossible_ to possess. His name had never come up in history, there was no face to name, and ultimately, even though All Might had fought him, she'd never once found a record of that fight.

It was like it had never happened.

For the longest time, she had wondered _why?_ Why would the press _not_ air a fight that would stand as All Might's grandest triumph, if the man was as deadly as he was rumored to be. What stopped them from dedicating a chunk of history to the biggest fight of mankind? There were no answers - or hypothesizes - that she could come up with to explain the mysterious cut frames from history.

But, All Might was no liar... and whatever she had stumbled upon, it _had_ to have been real. Which meant that All-For-One was real, and still alive, working as the surprise final boss behind everything. Everyone - heroes and rebellious students alike - would be preparing for the League of Villains, with Shigaraki as their final obstacle... but only All Might would know about the real hidden threat, wouldn't he?

Which meant that if everyone went... they might run into him... and if they did...?

It would be immediate death.

"Kirishima. Please." Ashido's trembling anger dissipated, replaced by the overwhelming urge to just... _cry_. She was _tired_. She was _scared_. Her friends were planning to try and intercept the biggest known villain association in Japan, and only she knew what awaited them at the end of the tunnel. Kirishima turned away, no longer willing to listen, but she refused to stop there. " _Please_!"

He hesitated.

"You don't know what's waiting for you... there's things that we don't know..." All of a sudden, the difficult position that Midoriya had been in since entering U.A. was on display for her to witness. The vague answers, the inability to give a complete truth, the uncertainty - the guilt that came with lying. "If you go, you won't come back."

"Why do you sound like you know something we don't...?" Kirishima said lowly. He refused to face her, but there was no missing the accusatory tone in his words.

Ashido flinched. "W-what?" Was he... _accusing_ her of something?!

"You heard me." Kirishima turned around, looking like he was seconds away from activating his quirk. His fists were tight, his face became stone-y nearly unreadable, but it was his eyes that were the hardest of all. "The Summer Camp. The USJ. The villains found us there... and I know it might have been because they wanted All Might the first time, but this time, it doesn't sound like they came looking for him..."

Slowly, Mina stepped backward, suddenly hyperaware of Kirishima's unspoken accusations. "You think I _sold everyone out_?! Are you out of your fuckin' mind?! Listen to yourself!"

"This can't be coincidence! There's no chance!" Kirishima retaliated. He leaned forward, his expression sharp and full of conflicting emotions, and for a tense second, Ashido thought their verbal argument was going to evolve into a full-on fist fight. But, he reeled back slightly, rectifying previous statements. "I'm not saying _you_ did this-"

"Really? 'Cause that's what it sounds like."

"-But you've been acting _weird_. Like, really weird. Something's changed. Ever since you fainted." Mina's eyes widened. "You haven't been the same. What do you know?"

Ashido bit her lip. _She couldn't admit it._

"What do you know?" Faintly, she registered that Kirishima took a step closer.

Her brain was moving slower than molasses, logged down by the rapid thoughts that bounced around the inside of her head like rubber bouncing balls, only gaining more and more energy the more they bounced. She wanted to grab her hair by the curls and tug until the roots gave way. She wanted to clamp her eyes shut and have the world fade away until she figured out what to do. She wanted to know what was right - but none of that would come to her, she realized.

"What do you know?!"

" _I don't know!_ "

Silence fell upon the duo, Kirishima taking a sudden, surprised step back as the force behind Mina's words hit him. Genuine uncertainty slipped across his features, colliding with the firm belief he'd had only moments before.

Mina's breath came in heavy waves, each heave adding to the headache she was developing. "I don't... I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Kirishima asked slowly. His voice had quieted down significantly, as did hers.

She sighed, finally finding a way to pace her breathing. "The things I know... o-or the things I _think_ I know... I'm not really sure."

It was true; even after all the deliberation she'd put into what she'd heard that fateful afternoon, she was still no closer to discovering the origins behind that mysterious conversation. Everything she knew - everything she _thought_ she knew - was based upon weak, unfounded, speculation. There wasn't a single _truth_ to the conversation.

Hell, she didn't even know if Midoriya's quirk _was_ this mysterious One-For-All!

For all she knew, it was a skit... or some sort of elaborate ruse... _something_ that wasn't the simplicity of the truth.

But yet, after each night she spent pondering over everything she'd heard, she'd come to the belief that it just wasn't possible. Midoriya was strange... but he wasn't a liar - or a fake. His desire to be a hero was purest in the class. If anyone would impress All Might, it would be him. And if anyone was to accept a quirk... destined to fight some evil overlord... it would be him that would be willing to do it.

For the betterment of humanity.

"What... what does that even mean?" It was hard to ignore the frustration that laced Kirishima's voice, but then again, she could understand it. He hadn't gotten a single answer, and she was leading him in wobbly circles - in the same circles she was lost within.

"I don't know."

The truth of everything. She didn't know a thing. Why did All Might give Midoriya Izuku - who was probably a formerly quirkless boy - a quirk that made him... everything he was? What was All-For-One's goal? Was he trying to capture Japan under his reign once more...? Or was it something that she couldn't even fathom?

But her lack of knowledge didn't solve the problem - she had revealed too much, and now, Kirishima was involved, whether she wanted him to be or not. His curiosity would only serve to create further problems if she left him in the dark. Rumors were the rocks that sank the boat, as her dad once told her. While he'd probably never thought that saying would apply to something so... _big_ , it didn't change the meaning behind it.

With a reluctant sigh, she crossed her arms and looked directly into Kirishima's eyes. "I... I _do_ have some things to reveal, okay...? But, I don't know what is what. And... it's not _my_ secret to reveal."

"If these... _secrets_ are putting anyone in danger, you need to say something," Kirishima started, only to be cut off.

"It's not that! Really; no one is doing anything illegal. Or traitorous." She ignored the bristle she felt, remembering the freshness of Kirishima's implications. He winced, and opened his mouth to respond, but she continued on, like nothing happened. "But, there's a lot that's happening in someone's life, and... I don't know." She snorted, despite the situation. "It's just confusing."

While she could tell he wasn't pleased, Kirishma sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "That doesn't really satisfy anything, but... I'll wait. But you owe me an explanation soon, got it?"

"Thank you." She meant it. "Does this mean you aren't going to go?"

An uneasy look passed over Kirishima's face. "I didn't say that. To be honest, I don't know what to think anymore. But..." Where doubt once laid, firm reality settled once more. "I have to do whatever is necessary to save Bakugou. Or else I'll never be able to look in the mirror and call myself a hero."

"You most certainly will _NOT_ be going to save anyone!"

A new, thundering voice entered the fray, becoming louder and more pronounced with each passing moment - a voice that Ashido recognized all too well. It was the same voice that reprimanded the slackers in the midst of studying for an exam, the same voice that demanded order and restraint during class functions - and the same voice that she'd attributed to rules and organization.

Even without his quirk, Iida Tenya was fast. Maybe it was his powerful stride, or maybe it was because he always seemed to be on some sort of mission, but he had the uncanny ability to close the distance with a single stride. And this was no exception.

He was ramrod straight; his expression firm as he sized up Kirishima. "I will not allow you to put yourself in such danger! Mr. Aizawa has revoked our permission to engage in combat! Any further endeavors will result in expulsion - you can be sure of that!" Kirishima looked away." Furthermore... I cannot allow you, as my friends, to put yourself in danger for the sake of personal pride."

Ashido looked at Iida; what did he mean by that? And why did it sound so... personal?

"I understand your frustration, however I-"

"No you don't!" Kirishima barked. He looked at Iida, obviously tired of being defied by the people he'd approached for help. Part of Mina felt bad - he was only trying to do what he felt was right. Even if it was skewered. However... the other part of her knew that if he was allowed to go forward, he'd more than likely die as result. It was better to stop him than let him continue.

Iida merely raised an eyebrow. "I believe you're forgetting something."

The red-haired boy remained silent, but stared at the Class President with defiance.

"My brother was attacked by Stain. I know better than you believe."

 _That_ was all it took to deflate Kirishma's tirade. The energy, the _fire_ he'd stored up until that point, came rushing out of his expression like air released from a balloon, and all that was left behind, was a worried teenager, staring hopelessly at a grim situation.

"I just want to do the right thing..." He whispered. "What kind of man... turns his back on his friends...?"

Slowly, Iida placed a hand on Kirishima's shoulder. "I ask you; what kind of man throws his life away for his friend? Trust in our superiors - let's say that Bakugou is successfully retrieved, but you end up perishing during your mission. Do you believe that Bakugou would be pleased with your efforts?"

Ashido had to admit; Iida had a great point. She hadn't considered the blonde boy's perspective in everything.

He was prideful, he was arrogant, and if the fight with All Might during the midterm test had proven anything, it was that the explosive-specialist preferred fighting his own way. And, if it came to it, he would lose his own way, too. Any rescue-attempt that was baked up from Class 1-A would more than likely be refused, because as ridiculous as it could be, Bakugou would view it as a handicap.

Even in the face of life-and-death, the blonde boy had a complex that was insurmountable, and if he were ever to overcome that looming obstacle, he'd either need a sincere shock to his life... or he'd need consoling.

"At the end of the day, vigilantism will not ensure Bakugou's survival - nor his retrieval. The best thing to do, at this present moment, is to believe in the people that protect us daily. If our faith in them waivers... then the villains have already won the day. Each attack, each terroristic movement, is an attempt to shake the foundations that have build up our society, and when you doubt those heroes, you're giving the villains what they want."

So that was why he was Class President. Maybe Midoriya was onto something, giving him the position and all...

Mina, honestly, had never considered the mental game that organizations such as the Villain's Alliance played. To her, the end-game was all about the possessions; who owned the most of the board? The final fight would always pit the strongest against one another, battling in a cataclysmic showdown that would only end in one of two ways: the good guy dies, or the villain is forced to surrender.

But if each strike instilled more than just property damage... if each 'failed' attack was also an attempt to sway the public's opinion in something, then perhaps there _was_ more to each mounted offensive. She could still remember the day that Midoriya was cornered by Shigareki - an encounter that, supposedly, was designed because the disintegration villain didn't have an identity.

If he'd found it... and become aware that life was bigger than just ending All Might's life, than perhaps their goal had become larger than initially planned.

"Kirishima. Take my word for this." His expression became shadowed. "When you throw away the ideals you hold close to you, in an effort to do something bigger than yourself, you've already failed."

"He doesn't deserve this..." Kirishima muttered. "Bakugou is rough, but to be taken prisoner... I just want to do the right thing. I want to save him. As much as he might pretend he wouldn't, I know he'd do the same. He wants to be a hero, too. That's why he's here - that's why we're _all_ here." What he was saying made sense. But... Mina shook her head, averting her eyes. "Yet, I feel like if I don't go, I'll be failing what it means to be a hero."

"We're not heroes yet." Ashido pointed out.

"You don't need to finish school to be a hero." Kirishima looked up. "It's more than that."

But, as confident in those words as he was, there was still the unmistakable shaken foundation in his eyes. He hadn't been fully convinced - he was likely debating the idea, even still - but he was no longer gung-ho about heading off into the unknown abyss. It was an improvement over earlier - though, Mina _did_ feel bad. She felt... guilty.

She didn't want to see Bakugou - or anyone, for that matter - be hurt by people as vile as the League of Villains. Was it wrong of her to keep her friend from going? Technically, it was his choice, but that didn't mean she felt like it was appropriate to just let him dilly-dally into a place he didn't belong.

"It isn't up to you, though. Deciding who is a who, and who isn't," Iida said quietly. "If you're doing it because that's what you _think_ a hero would do, then perhaps that isn't the correct reason, nor the correct choice."

 _'Midoriya...'_ Somehow, Ashido's thoughts trailed to the injured boy sitting in the hospital above them.

 _"I'll do it!"_

He hadn't said those words because that was what a hero would say, did he? It was more than that - it was almost... _simpler_ than that, wasn't it?

To Midoriya, being a hero wasn't the title, or the feeling - it was as straight-forward as could be. He only wanted to be a hero so that he could save people... so he could do the right thing. He didn't do it _because_ it was what a hero would do... he did it because it was the right thing to do, and that's what _made_ him a hero. It just so happened that those beliefs collided more times than not, and along the way, everyone just began believing that the right thing was the same thing that a hero would embody.

But even if he didn't know better, he was beyond that.

"I don't..." Heavily, Kirishima sighed. "I don't necessarily get what you mean... but..."

"That's why we're here - at U.A." Mina couldn't help piping up, despite having taken a backseat in the conversation. "We're all just kinda... learning. Weird when you say it aloud, huh? Who would've thought we need to learn to be heroes?"

"It's less about the heroics and more about the politics, Ashido! We, as U.A. students, are the epitome of the future generation, and we should remain dedicated to learning how to maximize our effectiveness!" The hand gestured resumed as Iida cut through the air with a chop, followed by a drop in his fist.

And just like that, the mood seemed to lighten.

From her pocket, Mina pulled out her phone and frowned. The day was drawing later - and while Kirishima was no longer certainly heading off into the waiting night, Midoriya was a totally different topic. He had been hesitant originally, although, no one could truly tell what went on inside that brain of his. He might be acting as if he was considering it, whilst internally, he'd already dedicated himself to the plan. And if she thought that Kirishima was difficult to convince...

She grimaced.

The conversation awaiting her was not going to be pleasant.

"Hey, Iida, I'm going to go see Midoriya, alright?" She didn't really need to ask permission from him - thus, the reason she didn't ask anything in the first place - but she was hoping the tone she dropped would suggest that it was personal.

Iida nodded. "I see, yes! It's a good idea to comfort our injured friend - and he is certainly taking Bakugou's disappearance hard. Very thoughtful of you, Ashido!"

"Right..." She said slowly. Recomposing herself, she stuffed her phone back in her pocket and smiled at the duo. "Well, I'll be off. Kirishima..." She said, turning to the red head. "... think about what we told you. And I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

It worried her that he barely composed a response.

But he understood by now... right?

* * *

"Heyyyyyyyyy!" With a couple of rhythmic knocks, the pink girl pushed the handle that led to Midoriya's private room - a result of his rather grievous injuries - and slipped inside, making sure to close the door firmly behind her. She smirked as she turned around - _it was time to get her tease on_. "Did someone ask for a super cute personal nurse?"

She even added a wink at the end, feeling the rush of excitement as Midoriya's eyes widened - despite his fatigued appearance - and a explosion of red rushed across his face. Honestly, he looked like he'd been sunburnt, and it was all so flattering, if Mina said so herself.

Appearance was something that she was on the fence about. She knew she was cute - she had great hair (in her opinion), a well-developed body, a sparkling personality, and plenty of confidence. But she also had some mild reserves about looking so vastly different from everyone else, especially compared to the other girls in their class. It wasn't enough to cause her concern, or make her feel inadequate, but once in awhile, she wondered how she stacked up against the others.

Especially against Yaoyorozu's... gifts.

"A-A-Ashido...?!"

"That's my name," she said happily. Though she'd only been in his room for a few seconds, the tension that had embedded itself on her shoulders from earlier, had seemingly vanished, just being in the injured boy's presence. It wasn't as if he were trying or anything; he was exuded that kind of sensation, like rays of positivity and relaxation. "So it _was_ you, huh?"

"A-ah! I-I-I didn't... wha-what?" Midoriya was completely flummoxed, which pleased Ashido - secretly.

She shimmed into the room, being sure to mind his comfort level, even if she was teasing him. It wasn't as if he was going to tell her to leave, nor was he going to spontaneous combust, but she knew he was sometimes rattled rather easily, and he was just injured, so... she could take it a bit easy on him for once. A chair by his bed called to her, and she gladly took a seat, turning so that she could look at her companion, who pushed himself up in bed to get a better look at her.

As he moved, she got her first glance at the new wrappings on his arms, and she felt her heart strings tug ever so slightly. The smile on her face dipped momentarily, as well.

Underneath of those white bandages... what wounds remained? What stories would the surface of his skin retain? Part of her wanted to reach out and just... touch the wrappings. They seemed so tight, but the more she focused on them, they looser they appeared - almost like they'd fall off at any given moment, and the skin underneath would simply crumble away.

She shook her head; that would _not_ happen. He was fine now.

"Don't lie - I know you wanted to see me," she said teasingly.

Despite the fiery blush on his face, and the stammering garble of words that tumbled from his mouth... she couldn't help but notice he never actually _denied_ it. Plus, for some reason... she wanted to see him, too. And it wasn't just because of the Kirishima situation.

Even amidst the One-For-All/All-For-One conflict she had burrowed in her head, and the newly developed Kirishima/vigilante problem... she had found herself drawn to him. Whenever she drifted off during class, her eyes always ended up back on him, whether or not he was facing her. Sometimes, she would snap out of her daydream immediately, but other times... _those_ were the dangerous times. The times when it didn't occur to her that she was lost within her mind, only to be drawn back by some sort of poking or prodding from a fellow classmate.

Or by Aizawa's unamused interruption.

And now, she was drawn right back to him, seeking him out even when it was getting late. Her father had told her just to remain at the hospital overnight - he was away for business, and her mother was working overnight from the sound of it. Since the train didn't run that late, she had silently accepted that she'd have to remain overnight, and a few of her friends reciprocated the idea, if only to support their injured classmates during a trying time.

She snickered as Midoriya sighed, evidently giving up at coming up with any sort of response. "So, how you feeling?"

He clenched his fist, slowly flexing and extending his bicep, as if expecting some sort of pain to come with the motion. After a few motion tests, he responded. "Good... a little sore, to be honest, but... considering everything that happened, I feel a lot better."

"You worried a lot of people," Ashido said lightly. It wasn't the first thing she'd planned on saying, but for some reason, the words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop to think.

"I know." Midoriya's eyes flittered downward, and he frowned. His posture seemed to slump, as well. "I didn't... _mean_ to. I-I know that's... it doesn't mean much, but... I had to save him."

"The boy?" Mina asked.

Midoriya nodded. "If I didn't fight with everything I had... w-we... well..."

He didn't need to finish his sentence. _They would've died._

The conversation took a moment to restart as the gravity of the implications settled down upon the two students. For Ashido, death remained a foreign identity, spoken only by those that had been touched by its presence. The closest she'd come to death was the USJ, although this recent attack by the League of Villains had come close, too. There was one similarity in both circumstances:

She had been away from the fighting.

It almost made her disgraced with herself. In a twisted way, she felt... invalid for not having taken part in the growth with her classmates. Was that the reason that she was lagging behind everyone else...? Class 1-B had been supposedly feeling that way, and while it sounded ridiculous, it also made some sense. The missing puzzle piece... was it interaction with villains? Actual experience? Had she missed chances to become... strong?

She stole a glance at Midoriya, and banished those thoughts immediately. The boy in the bed in front of her had been in the _middle_ of both fights, and yet, she knew if she'd asked him, he wouldn't have wanted to be there. His only reason for wanting to be in the midst of the chaos was around the concept of preventing injury to anyone around him. But, otherwise, there was no chance that the soft-spoken, timid boy would have any desire to be thrust into life-or-death situations like that again.

"I'm glad you didn't die."

"M-me, too."

"You know... we haven't talked much since that day you walked me to the train station..." Mina suddenly said, putting a finger to her bottom lip. She slyly glanced at Izuku, a small smirk forming. "Are you... _avoiding me_?"

"N-n-no! I just, we, I mean...! We've all been so b-busy!" Despite the truth behind his reply, Ashido laughed heartily, her smirk morphing into a genuine smile. Izuku frowned. "You're just teasing me..."

"I'm sorry," Mina said in between laughs. She began calming down, taking longer breaths to stabilizer her voice. "It's just so cute watching you get flustered like that."

A blanket of silence fell upon the two students as Mina's words were processed by both parties. Now, _she_ was the one turning colors as her voice was sucked away in an instant. "Eh...? I-uh..."

If it was at all possible, Midoriya's face became darker, and he could practically pass as a tomato. Of all the things she hadn't meant to say, that might have come the closest to the top. It hadn't _really_ been on her mind, but now that she said it... she couldn't _stop_ thinking about it. His cherry-red cheeks, the way they flushed red, tinging even his ears... the way his eyes widened, and for a moment, the marvelous green orbs that were so inquisitive, became overwhelmed by emotion - the good kind - as they darted from side-to-side. There was no denying it.

Midoriya Izuku was cute.

"So... uh..." With the suffocation of the silence beginning to have an adverse effect on them, Mina switched topics - reluctantly - to the 'real' reason she was visiting. "S-so... Kirishima's idea..."

The red began fading from sight as Midoriya sensed the seriousness of the topic. He looked down at his bedsheets, gripping the fabric tightly within his still-wrapped hands. "Yeah... it's dangerous."

"No kidding. I tore him a new one," Ashido said casually.

"I'm... not surprised. It's rather reckless. But..."

"But...?"

Midoriya looked up at her. "Is it the wrong thing to do?"

For some reason, Ashido wasn't angry. She didn't feel even an ounce of rage at what Midoriya was alluding to, despite having just blown up on her childhood friend earlier for the exact same allusion. It was hypocritical, in a way. There was almost no difference between Midoriya and Kirishima, minus the duration of the friendships - which, was debatable, as her interactions with Kirishima had been limited, if not completely non-existent during secondary school.

She had expected it from the both of them - their ideals were relatively similar, though driven by different forces. Kirishima was looking to prove himself; he wanted to act like a hero, not _be_ a hero. And, perhaps that was the reason she'd become so irked. But Midoriya was a little different from what she could tell. He didn't really want to act because of the school he was going to, but instead, he acted because... why did he act?

It suddenly occurred to her that she'd never actually asked why he wanted to be a hero. Or what it was that made him so... danger-magnet-y.

"Why do you want to save him?"

He rose an eyebrow. "He's... my friend."

"He's treated everyone like dirt," Mina pointed out. "I'm not saying that's reason to leave him alone, but I mean, he hasn't done anything to earn this level of dedication. You could be throwing your life away, dude."

"I know." His voice was so quiet. So soft.

"So why...?" She responded, equally as quiet.

"It's hard to explain..." Midoriya relented reluctantly. "Kacchan and I... we ar- _used_ to be friends. And I know that... it isn't really a reason to save someone, but... s-someone once told me something." Mina leaned in. His voice was so soft, but she also wanted to catch every word of what he was saying. "The primary essence of being a hero is butting your head in. No matter who is in trouble... it's your duty as a hero to save them."

"So it _is_ because you want to be a hero..." Mina mumbled.

"N-no... I wouldn't quite that say, either." Midoriya interrupted. "I guess... I'm doing it because I want to. It's not about being in the heroics course, or being a hero. It's because it's the right thing to do."

"Kirishima said something similar. He wanted to go because it was manly, yeah. But he said it was the right thing - the thing a hero would do."

"W-well, that's just it. It's not... really about what a hero would or wouldn't do. I-I mean, yeah, the primary essence is butting in, b-but, you can't just do heroic things because that's what a hero would do, because it's more than that." Mina frowned; this seemed to be going in an odd, half-made circle. Izuku seemed to catch on. "Think of it like this: you block a bullet from hitting a civilian... why did you do it?"

Mina paused for a moment.

Obviously, the answer was because she was a hero, and it was her responsibility to protect those she served. But...

But wasn't that the same reason she chewed out Kirishima? Being a hero wasn't in the action, but the reason you did the action. Sacrificing yourself for a civilian wasn't done because the hero saves everyone - you're a hero because you put someone's life ahead of your own. Rightly or wrongly... it was because you wanted to - not because of a job title.

Saving lives... not for the publicity, or the pride, or the money... saving lives not for the title... but because you wanted to? Was that what he meant?

"It might not make sense... m-maybe I'm just a little out there...?"

"No..." Ashido said slowly. "I think... I get it. It's the reason. That's what Stain was... all about, right? Fake heroes and all that jazz. All Might isn't a hero because of his title, but he is a hero because he acts with the intent to save, and that's it... does that seem right?"

"Yeah!" Midoriya smiled. "That's exactly it! Even if I wasn't at U.A... I'd do this, because I have the ability to save him. And... I want to save him."

"Even though you're breaking rules...?"

Midoriya's smile faded a tad. "Yeah... a-and that's why I feel you can't do this because of your title. Because by breaking the rules, you're not really doing a heroic thing by title. But you... you are doing the right thing."

"I still don't quite get it... but I think I know what you mean." It was all pretty confusing, if Ashido was honest with herself. Being a hero, doing the right thing, it was all like a poorly made circle that didn't really connect with one another. Maybe she'd never really understand, but then again, maybe it would all click when she was in a different position.

Just not this one.

"So you're going, I take it?"

Midoriya looked down once again. "Yeah... I plan to."

"Even though you're hurt?" She inquired a step further.

 _Did he not realize how busted up he really was...? Or did he just not care?_

He nodded once.

"C-can I ask you something...?" He nodded again, this time, slowly. "You're..."

 _You're All Might's apprentice, aren't you?_

 _You're the holder of All Might's quirk._

 _You're... who are you?_

But none of the thoughts could make their way out of her mouth. Each word became ensnared by the traffic jam in her throat, causing her to stumble over each syllable, unable to finish her sentence. It was fear, she realized. But not of Midoriya. She was afraid of his answer, and the cold truth that might come with it. Was she _really_ ready to hear that he was the inheritor of such a special power?

Was she ready to hear that he might end up in his final battle sooner than either of them had anticipated?

A steady, but soft knock on the door interrupted the duo as the simultaneously turned to see who the intruder was.

"Midoriya, I - " Todoroki, the half-and-half quirked user, paused in the doorway, as if sensing he'd walked in on something important. Which, in Mina's mind, he technically _had_ , but she was a bit gracious for his timely/untimely arrival. "I can... come back later, if you need."

"No, no!" Mina hurriedly said. "It's okay. I can tell... it's kinda important. I'll just come back."

She stood up, a smile - fake as it was - on her face, and gave Midoriya one last glance. "You take care of yourself; don't injury yourself before I get back, okay?"

He looked away sheepishly, but when he looked back at her, she could see the curious concern shining in his eyes.

 _He knew something was off._

"Take care you two; don't do anything _naughty_ ~"

Todoroki's blank look, paired with Midoriya's betrayed look, almost alleviated the burning frustration in her chest from having chickened out of her questions. Almost.

But as she closed the door, deciding to go see how Hagakure was doing, she didn't realize that by the time she'd come back to re-check on Midoriya...

He'd be gone.

* * *

 _Yeah, yeah, I said I was going to be done in a week. Someone pointed that out and, honestly, that annoyed me a little. I know I said a week, and I know I shouldn't have said it if I wasn't going to fulfill it, but there's not exactly a way I can plan on a family death, nor can I plan on losing internet for nearly two weeks. I can use the computer at work, sure, but that's hospital property - not really a writing environment._

 _So yeah, I'm sorry, but things came up and I'll always put life ahead of writing. Either way, it's here. It's not my best chapter, but it starts to get things moving again, and there's some mild reveals and teasers within, so keep an eye on that._

 _As for character writing, I know Mina seems a bit off, but I kind of figure that to be due to her fatigue in everything. After all, she has knowledge of something she wasn't supposed to know - lying, as a social creature like she is, becomes far more taxing, especially because I don't peg her as a habitual liar. Midoriya avoids contact with people, so his lying is minimal, though accentuated by similar conditions._

 _As you can see, a theme in this story is going to be the division of Class 1-A, versus the unity. Things get spicier going forward, so stay tuned, and hopefully, I don't get fucked by life again._

 _Onto responses:_

 **Dragontitan: The changes are coming! How much different will things be...? Who knows!**

 **Sergito: The moments are coming up, I promise. I want to build up to it - a slow burn, if you will. Their interactions are so limited, and they're young, so I want to build up the crush from nothing. Because, essentially, that's where it is, anyways! But the moments will probably arrive after the next chapter, since the next one will wrap up the Hideout Arc.**

 **Guest: BROOO BOIIII!**

 **Dorngok Sekker: I'm glad I can bring you joy! It's a fun pairing, and although I enjoy most of the girls, Mina just sticks out to me. I dunno why.**

 **LAVO: I agree; and the deviations will only become that much greater as I can break from the necessary canon. The thing about deviation is this: you have to consider what happened, and for what reason. All Might's not-death/death is an example of a shatter of the trope that commonly follows this genre; but is it a bad idea to deviate from it? As we finish this arc, and there's more gray area, it'll be a lot easier to bend things.**

 **Disturbed911: It was slow, I agree. And this isn't much faster, but it's a build-up chapter. Maybe even a bit faster? I dunno. I'll be breaking away in the next chapter or two, so I wouldn't exactly worry about your concern, because I'll be adding in things that never happened. This story isn't going to be a forever running story, but it will be moderately long, and a big part of that will be the deviation.**

 **Venrex Tyranno: I'm addicted, I can tell you that.**

 **dgj212: Hehe... I can't wait to see... or do I already know...?**

 **23: Why, thank you friend.**

 **Doraslayer1: Ayy, thank you! I'm pleased to please!**

 **Cleric of Nayru: Oh man, if you liked this confrontation before, you might either love/hate this one! Haha. But I'm glad you're enjoying everything!**

 **TokusatsuLuv: Many of them will. Things happen; this is a high school environment. And, you'll see examples of this, too.**

 **QuirkQuartz: I actually was mid-way through their argument when I saw this review, and I thought to myself: you'll either love this or hate where this ends. Honestly, I do really like Kirishima, but he _is_ a pretender right now. His middle school revelations are built upon just becoming who he isn't. I don't know how much he believes and how much he pretends, but this was meant to prove that I think he's still in the middle of everything. He has a good heart, but a good heart doesn't mean a heart in the right place. And Midoriya is going to show Mina things I don't think she really has, yet. I know she did stuff in middle school, which wasn't mentioned here, but that'll be addressed later on more. Factually, everyone has room to grow, and that's going to be something touched on. Ironically, you pointed out this is the slowest to update story... it's probably because I pour in the most effort! Haha. I'm always re-writing it because I don't like it, whereas others, I just bend and accept.**

 **Cadaver1041: They won't be safe, they're kids haha.**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: I'm glad to hear it!**


	7. 7: Secrets Unveiled

_"You're next."_

Two words. That was all it took. Two simple words that echoed throughout every television in all of Japan, recorded and replayed over, and over, and over again, sent the entire country into a craze of speculation and contemplation. It had become impossible to go online and not see a different news article breaking down the implication and meaning behind those two words, claiming to be the first to report on it. Headline after headline broke, trying to be the 'one' that found the hidden message in a bottle that All Might had proverbially sent to sea.

Yet, Mina knew that none of the articles were true, even without clicking on them. She knew that not a single one had even a _word_ of truth embedded in the massive bodies of text and click-bait, simply because, Midoriya hadn't once been in the public's eyes. Not that they cared, of course. Not a single person knew that Midoriya had a connection to All Might, after all. But that was exactly the point, as well.

 _Nobody knew the truth, because nobody knew Midoriya_.

But she did. She knew the truth. And by extension, that made her the most valuable commodity in all of Japan. With just _one_ quiet tip to a major news network, she could be essentially set for life, assuming they managed to extort the truth from the timid teenager. Of course, she had no intentions of revealing anything, because that was not who she was... but it was something that had crossed her mind while she was laying in bed one night.

Following All Might's invisible proclamation, the real tragedy struck, which had been the reason that Mina had so much free time. In all of his glory - standing with his fist in the air, accepting the praise, screeching and hollers from the city and all those that watched on with tears of joy streaking down the face - the fist had fallen suddenly, and All Might had fallen backward in a heap.

Emergency response had kicked in immediately, rushing on-scene with law enforcement, hoping and praying that they were not too late. Several news stations cut their broadcast - the truth of the situation being too much for them to comfortably air live. The uncertainty of the situation, paired with the increasingly grim reality of what might have just happened, was simply too much, and they turned their cameras back to the studio in a helpless attempt to save innocence. Other stations were not that generous, and kept their lens on the scene - knowing that if they got the best angle, they'd be worth millions. As greedy as it was, it was what people wanted to know.

There was a wall of people that huddled around the fallen hero, blocking him from the peering eyes of the public, much to the camera's chagrin, and in that time, emergency services began working tirelessly. Rumors were the only thing that there was to go off of, and the rumors were far from comforting. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation had been the first step, followed by 'dose upon dose' of Epinephrine. The rumors only got worse. Someone's whisper said that All Might had to be intubated on his transport to the trauma center; a result of compromised airway, along with assumed pneumothorax. Someone else reports hemothorax. Mina didn't know which was was, nor did she know the truth - but she knew that it was bad.

Some reports had mentions of several defibrillation attempts, with no recorded successes. Others noted success after the first 200 joules. With so many conflicting reports, it was hard to decipher whether or not All Might had even needed to be shocked, and there was no clarity on the matter of that, either. It would likely remain a mystery until either All Might was well enough - assuming he... survived - to admit the truth, or until someone accidentally leaking the medical records. Which, if that happened, it would be a large scandal, but it wasn't impossible.

At the end of the day, All Might had successfully been transferred to the ICU of an unnamed trauma hospital, and he had undergone successful surgery. However, with what doctors called the overuse of his quirk, he was to remain in a medically-induced coma for at least 7 days. Depending on his progress, he'd be evaluated and either released from the coma... or kept under for a longer duration. The doctor with the quirk responsible was made unavailable for comment, so once the report had surfaced, it was another uproar from the public that was met with no answers.

Mina herself was frustrated with the darkness she was kept in - All Might had been her teacher, after all! She had an actual relationship with him, and under his tutelage, she'd learnt a great deal about heroics and history! But... as frustrated as she was, she knew that Midoriya had to be significantly worse off. He hadn't been seen by _anyone,_ and he'd refused to answer his phone for anyone - even Uraraka had been unsuccessful. Truthfully, it worried Mina a great deal more than she vocalized.

That man had been his _idol_... his _teacher_... his _predecessor._ Everything that Midoriya was set to inherit by taking on the Quirk of One-For-All... it was almost all built by All Might himself. Through years upon years of training, all the way through his Golden Age... it was all so inspiring for someone to look at, but it had to be _intimidating_ to inherit. With his only guidance now in a hospital bed - _possibly dying_ \- and no clue of where to go from now... Mina could only wonder what Midoriya's next move would be. He hadn't exactly gotten a name as the most... rational student when it came to making choices. He was level-headed, sure, but he didn't always think with his head. The fight between himself and Todoroki was the most obvious example of his reckless decision-making skills.

A knock on Mina's door interrupted her thoughts, and the pink-girl sighed in reluctance. She contemplated leaving the door untouched, and just letting whoever it was assume that she was asleep - because if it was who she thought it was, then she had no desire to have the conversation just yet. She glanced around her room - the boxes she'd used to store her stuff in were tossed around the room, but everything had been set up in her new dorm room accordingly. With no reason to _not_ answer (aside from her reluctance in talking), she slowly shimmed free of her bedsheets and made her way to her door.

The decision to move into the dorms had been a drastic, last-resort move by U.A. no doubt. Her parents had been skeptical, but they hadn't been opposed to the idea. Thus far, Mina had escaped danger in all the events that had transpired, and her parents were well aware of that fact. Even so, they weren't so eager to sent her back to a place that seemingly had a target painted on its walls, even _if_ she was only two-and-a-half years from fighting villains on her own. With only a little effort, her parents conceded and allowed her to return - but not without teasing, crying and a few well wishes.

From there, the time had flown by, and aside from Aizawa's stern warning to everyone who'd gone to on the raid for Bakugou, everything had... essentially settled into normalcy. As expected, neither Bakugou nor Midoriya had been present for Aizawa's scolding - in which Aizawa said he'd talk to them separately. As cold as the man could be, there was something within him that stayed beating, and for that reason alone, Mina could see the care he had for the class. Even if that care was poorly (at times) demonstrated.

"Kirishima I do-" Mina paused as she swung her door open, blinking a few times as she came face-to-face with not Kirishima, but Jirou. The earjack teen nervously spun one of her jacks around her finger as she looked anywhere but Mina's room. "Jirou?"

"I wanted to talk with you, if that was cool." Despite her attempts to sound nonchalant, there was an undertone of desperation... mixed with something else. Something that Ashido couldn't quite put her finger on.

Slowly, Mina opened her door further, granting Jirou the passage of entrance. Her gold sclera brushed over the visible hallway, checking to ensure that no one else was waiting secretly to listen in - as she had a feeling this was personal - before she slowly closed her door, taking note of a cool breeze that brushed by her. The dorms seemed to run much colder than Ashido was used to, since her family kept the thermostat up higher, and it hadn't yet failed to send a chill down her spine.

Once the door was closed, and appropriately locked, Mina turned to Jirou - who was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room - and crossed her arms skeptically. "What's up? Not that I'm not happy to see you or anythin', but..."

"Yeah, sorry," Jirou muttered. "I know it's kinda awkward. I just... got some things on my mind."

"Boys?" Mina asked, a sudden glint appearing in her eye. In just a second, her whole outlook on the conversation changed, and she practically lunged into her bed, twisting violently so that her sheets ensnared her limbs, before facing Jirou with a giant smile. "I am _so_ ready! Tell me, tell me! Did Kaminari _finally_ confess?! Oh, wait, no, was it Koda?! Or am I off? Maybe it's Yaomomo!"

"W-wait, w-w-what?!" Jirou nearly screamed in reply. She sharply yanked on her earlobe and hissed as she did so, dropping the jack as she gaped at Mina's sudden interrogation. "W-what makes you think that... Y-Yaoyorozu..." She shook her head. "T-that's not why I'm here!"

Ashido smirked. "Is it someone else? Maybe you have a crush on _them_ , and want to know how to show it, huh?"

"Would you wait?!" Jirou retaliated, though her voice lacked malice. She sighed, eyeing Mina carefully. "Could I at least sit?"

"Sure, grab a seat, then the love consoling session is underway! The _love doctor_ is in!" The pink girl eagerly gestured to her multi-colored desk chair, which Jirou carefully removed from the desk and sat down in.

It was clear that Jirou was far from enthusiastic about this conversation, and just by reading her body language, Mina felt a pang of guilt surface, realizing she'd pretty much jumped the poor girl. The punk rocker wasn't exactly the most _keen_ on sharing her thoughts - or feelings - and for her to gather the confidence to approach someone... Mina sighed. Jirou hadn't even had a chance to explain herself, but yet, she'd taken everything and blown it sky high. With a hint of guilt, Mina dialed back her intensity, squashing down her feelings for at least a few moments.

"Sorry, I guess I kinda jumped the gun there," Mina said with a guilty chuckle, although, if one listened closely, they could note the lack of actual humor. "What brings you in?" Admittedly, Mina _was_ curious. The relationship she had with Jirou, like most of the relationship she had with the girls, was rather strong, and aided by their lack of numbers. Because there were only six girls, they'd bonded quickly - even if it hadn't been fully intentional. As the saying went; _birds of a feather, flock together._

Jirou rubbed the back of her head, averting her eyes. Her earjacks hung loosely in the air; a stark contrast to their usual portrayal of emotion. "It... _is_ a boy. B-but it isn't me!" Her eyes darted up to meet Ashido's golden iris. "It's... _you_."

"Me?" Mina asked skeptically, pointing at herself. "I'm not a guy."

"I know that!" Jirou shouted suddenly, before running her hand across her face. She sighed heavily, her gaze flickering between awkward and irritated. "Midoriya! You and Midoriya!"

Oh.

 _Oh._

Mina blinked, and suddenly, the room felt... a _lot_ warmer than it had a second ago. Were the walls closer, too? Slowly, _deliberately_ , Mina untangled herself from her sheets, taking care not to move too quickly, lest she get re-wrapped. As she rolled, her thoughts from earlier came sneaking back, and the concern she felt for Midoriya seemed... _different_. Why was that? She felt a trickle of warmth touch her cheeks, and she inwardly cursed; she was _blushing_.

To her credit, Jirou remained straight-faced and stoic, not commenting on the blush that may or may not be present on her face. In fact, she seemed a bit tense, given the circumstances. Was there something more to it? Did... did she perhaps... _like_ Midoriya, too?

Ashido froze.

Had she just admitted to liking Midoriya?

"Oh... _shit_..." She mumbled.

"What?" Jirou asked, and Mina suddenly became aware of the earjack girl's enhanced hearing.

"Nothing~" Mina sang, trying her best to conceal her rising anxiety behind a facade. If there was one thing she was good at - _one thing she'd developed in her time from middle school until now_ \- it was creating a temporary facade. It wouldn't last long. But it didn't have to, either. "Just, what brings on this sudden interest, hmm? Do you maybe like him?"

Jirou's eyes narrowed. "This isn't a joke!" Mina drew back suddenly at the sharpness in the girl's voice. For the first time since the conversation started... there was a weight that hung over the room - a weight that felt familiar with Kirishima. "What did you mean that day?!"

"W-what... what are you talking about? What day?"

"You know what day! The day you talked about quirks!" Jirou's shouts were beginning to rise in volume, and Mina felt a sweat breaking out. Her only neighbor was Uraraka, but that didn't make the matter of the reality any better. If Uraraka was in her room... there was almost no chance that she wasn't going to hear Jirou's voice - and if she did... matters would only escalate.

But that wasn't the only thing on Mina's mind. Jirou's demanding question... the quirk conversation...

 _'Would... would it be weird for someone to pass on their quirk on?'_

There was no doubt in Ashido's mind. That had to be it.

"It was a weird question... I wasn't really sure what you meant by that, but it was... _weird_." Jirou's voice dropped to almost a whisper as her eyes locked onto Mina's, the dark amethyst orbs piercing through Mina's facade, leaving her feeling naked and vulnerable. "It sounded like just a coincidence... but I could _hear_ something... and I knew something was off. People think my quirk only works when my jacks are plugged into something, but that's not entirely true. That helps me differentiate noises, and enhance my hearing so that I can hear through things. But unplugged, I can see make out really faint things... like a heartbeat."

Mina's stomach flipped, and if what Jirou said was true, than there was no doubt she was hearing her thumping heart now. It felt like it was trying its hardest to jump out of her chest. A bead of sweat dripped down Mina's temple, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she tried to feebly manage her rising anxiety. It didn't take a genius to see where Jirou was going with her statements.

She was suspicious, too.

"Yours was fast. _Too fast._ I thought it was just coincidence. Then... th-then..." She paused, gathered her breath. "Then Ragdoll lost her quirk!"

Ragdoll; a member of the Pussycat Hero team... and a victim of All-For-One's quirk. Once she'd been captured by the villain's during their raid of the forest, Mina had a sneaking suspicion that - if All Might's words had been true about All-For-One returning - they were taking her to be 'drained'. It was a valuable quirk; despite it's lack of pure power, it could turn the tide of _any_ fight. Especially one against the world's strongest hero.

"What are you asking...?" Mina whispered. She was all too aware of the dryness on her lips, but no amount of licking her lips would restore the moisture. Her voice cracked weakly, as her emotions took stranglehold of her vocal cords, and she was almost sure that a few tears were pooling in her eyelids.

Jirou breathed in slowly, her eyes glaring daggers into Mina's. There was a silence that punctuated the thick tension, though neither party dared move or speak again. For Ashido, her fists were balled around the hem of her shirt, trying desperately to wring the fabric, as if she could maybe - _hopefully -_ squeeze out the betrayal she was feeling. This was the _second_ accusation in such a short time... had she _really_ been acting that suspicious? Had she really been hiding that much, driving her _friends_ to believe she was working with blood-thirsty villains, in an effort to slaughter the world's symbol of peace?

Honestly, she didn't know anymore. It was just a secret. It had been innocent enough. There wasn't anything that was... overwhelmingly negative about Midoriya's secret. Sure, he'd accepted a quirk when he was previously quirkless - and that was _astounding_. And the quirk was designed to stop the evil that laid lurking beneath the eyes of the public. But other than that...? There was nothing.

Midoriya was essentially being trained for a single fight, but it wasn't as if he was doing something suspicious under their noses. He was genuine about becoming a hero - nobody could take that away from him. Not Jirou, not Kirishima, not Bakugou... not _herself._ Nobody could deny his drive - his goals. He was quite possibly the most motivated individual within all of Class 1-A.

The tears were blinked from her vision as Mina's eyes narrowed just slightly, a sudden bubble of _anger_ popping up inside her chest. Where heartbreak once laid, defiance now stood. Who was _Jirou_ to assume she was betraying anyone?! Who was _Kirishima_ to accuse her of being a traitor?! Who was _anyone_ to question her place in the Hero Course?! She was there because she wanted to become a hero! They couldn't tell her otherwise!

The change in stance caused Jirou to take a step back, her once narrow eyes widening in surprise. Her earjacks shivered, and reared themselves up, the sharp ends glaring at Mina's now offended gaze. "You know what...? I don't even care that you couldn't just _ask_ me what was going on, instead of _accusing_ me of something..."

"But I won't sit here and _let_ you say these things wrongly!"

The resolve that had glared at Mina previously, crumbled within Jirou's eyes, though she stood her ground and clenched her fists. "Then tell me!"

"I meant what I said!" Mina shouted back, no longer caring if anyone heard. She knew it was dumb - anyone that heard would become just another problem to fix later on. But her teenage hormones were driving her forward with the force of a runaway train, and for the moment, she didn't care about any destruction that laid in her wake. She just wanted to be heard; no matter who listened. "Is it _really_ that weird to think that someone can give quirks?!"

"That's not the point! You knew something about that... _monster_ before anyone else! If you knew something... why didn't you tell All Might?! Or _someone_?!" Jirou shot back.

She was now aware of how dangerously close she was to revealing Midoriya and All Might's secret, but - for better or for worse - she didn't precisely care. "Don't you think he already knew?! Did you see the fight? He already knew what he was dealing with!"

" _How do you know that?!_ "

" _BECAUSE I HEARD ALL MIGHT TELL MIDOR-_ "

A sharp, singular knock completely interrupted the verbal confrontation, halting both parties mid-sentence. Their heavy breathing was the only noise made, the gap that had previously existed between the duo having closed significantly as their words had raised in volume. Both Ashido and Jirou became aware of their position and stance, and slowly receded, a look of guilt flashing over each of their faces. Ashido folded her arms behind her head, while Jirou grabbed her wrist and slowly massaged her arm.

"L-look... play it innocent. Don't say anything." Jirou said roughly, though there was an waver of hesitance in her voice. "Just... we had a simple fight, okay?"

Ashido snorted with clear disdain, moving around the punk-girl to open the door. "Yeah, _sure_."

But when she opened the door - having expected Uraraka, or maybe Aizawa - she felt her already sinking heart _plummet_ into her stomach as she stared into the vibrant emerald eyes of Izuku Midoriya. He seemed nervous - a common adjective used in associated with the green-haired teen - but he also seemed... determined. For something.

"M-Midoriya...?"

"H-hey... can I come in...?"

"Actually, we're talking right now," Jirou interrupted, her frustration from the earlier fight leaking into her words. Before Ashido was given a chance to retaliate, and remind the purple-haired girl that it was _her_ room they were in, Midoriya did something that surprised the both of them.

He stood his ground.

"It... really wasn't a question. I'm sorry. I think this involves me."

Jirou blinked, her mouth slightly gaping, and Ashido couldn't blame her. Midoriya was a nervous wreck nine out of ten times during the day. He was as timid as timid came, and it was no exaggeration to say that he reminded the class of a walking marshmallow with how soft he was. The only times he'd been as firm as he was being, was during the Sports Festival fight against Todoroki, and then again when he was fighting All Might - which, admittedly, was punctuated by moments of softness.

But right now, he was none of what he had become known as. With the recent events that had befallen All Might, Mina wasn't exactly sure what she expected from her green-haired classmate. Would he be a timid, sobbing wreck? Would he be distant, teetering on the edge of depression or something worse? Or would he pretend everything was okay, and go about his life as normal, only to be rotting away on the inside, waiting to break when no one was looking?

 _This_ hadn't been a conceived outcome.

"Were you _listening_ in?"

Midoriya's eyes flashed. "No. But I was given a recap. And that last part included me."

From the corner of the room, Ashido suddenly realized that _something_ was off. The carpet was depressed slightly in two specific spots, and there was a slight disturbance of the environment around the spot. "Hagakure?!"

"Oopsie... looks like they found me~" The giggle that echoed through the room seemed _much_ more ominous than it should've been, especially coming from the bubbly girl. Her upbeat energy seemed to diminish slightly as she spoke again. "I'm sorry for hiding... b-but... everyone's been acting really strange recently... and I became worried."

"How did I not hear you...?" Jirou mumbled in shock.

The invisible girl perked up and giggled again. "I trained, silly! When I did my internship, my sensei taught me to control my breathing to evade even the best of trackers! Covert operations _is_ something I want to do, after all!"

"And your... heartbeat?"

"Same story! But that's not important!" While it was impossible to tell (since the the girl was completely naked) Ashido assumed that her arms crossed her chest unhappily as she prepared to scold the two. "You guys were out-of-control! I needed _someone_ to come and reign you two in!"

"And Midoriya...?" Ashido asked.

Hagakure laughed nervously. "Well... he was the best one I could think of... a-and, honestly, it seemed like you guys were talking about stuff that he'd be able to help with. Quirks and all... that's kinda his mojo..."

And for the first time since Hagakure's reveal, Midoriya stepped forward, making his presence known. "I-I know that... a lot has happened. Jirou... you have a lot of questions... and Ashido... you..." He paused. His eyes flickered over her body, and for a second, she felt more vulnerable that she had earlier. But the feeling fading, looking into the depths of Midoriya's eyes, and she simply let herself open up. "You... know stuff."

It was _very_ difficult to discern the heir of All Might's tone, whether he was angered, annoyed, worried, confused, sad or... relieved. His gaze did little to clear up that difficulty, leaving Mina, essentially, in the dark about what it was that he was thinking. For once, he wasn't an open book.

He sighed, and subconsciously, his hand flittered to the new scar he adorned on his arm, tracing the rough skin, as if he were trying to soothe a phantom pain. It was the first time that _any_ of them had actually seen his new scars... and nobody felt comfortable for the moment. The skin was roughly discolored, though it looked relatively healed compared to what Ashido had originally seen. If nothing else, it relieved the tension within her heart of Midoriya's well-being.

"Hagakure, you should stay too, I guess. You kinda heard a lot..." It remained difficult to tell Hagakure's expression without clothes, but a larger depression in the carpet suggested she was sitting intently. "D-do you want clothes... or something?"

"Nah, I'm okay!" She chirped cheerily. Mina would've smirked at Midoriya's exasperated look had she not been wound up so tightly.

"Right..." He muttered, before awkwardly looking around the room. Jirou's unconvinced, slightly irritated gaze definitely unnerved him, but Ashido would admit, she was impressed as he shrugged off the discomfort and took a deep breath in. "S-so... I guess... I need to know." He turned to Ashido. "When did you...?"

He trailed off, and she picked up the queue he was leaving. "Learn about everything? The day I fainted... I kinda overheard All Might talking to you about... All-For-One." His eyes were unreadable, but widened ever so slightly. "And... One-For-All."

This time, his eyes widened fully, and a look of concern flashed across his features, before settling back down, his face returning to stoic once more. "Oh."

"All-For-One? One-For-All? Can someone fill me in?" Jirou's irritation had settled slightly, but her face was still unsettling. She still hadn't been convinced.

"Right... so... All-For-One was the villain that... _he_ fought." Mina took direct note of Midoriya's hesitance saying All Might's name. She shouldn't have been surprised - he was, after all, the biggest All Might fan that U.A. had to offer. Assuming he wasn't affected would've been insane. He was probably taking the entire ordeal rather hard, especially considering his connection to the legendary hero. "He had the ability to steal quirks. It... it's how he stole Ragdoll's quirk."

Jirou's eyes were as wide as saucer-plates as the information sunk in. "So... y-you're saying... someone out there could _steal_ quirks?"

"R-right," Midoriya replied, albeit, uneasily.

"Okay... so where do _you_ fit into all of this," Jirou asked, turning to Mina. The look of accusation had faded, and now, it was replaced with a look of complete and utter confusion. It didn't alleviate the tingling anger that was bundled up within, but Ashido admitted that she felt a slight weight off her back, knowing she was no longer staring down the barrel of a loaded gun.

Midoriya coughed gently. "R-right, I'm curious as well... did you know this whole time...?"

"About All-For-One? No... I mean, I knew _who_ he was, but I only knew as much as you did. I only heard All Might talk about him the once. When... he talked about your quirk." Midoriya flinched.

"That reminds me... Midoriya?" Hagakure spoke up, all evidence of teasing joy in her voice having faded. "What is your quirk? It's registered as Super Power, right?"

"Super Power?" Mina couldn't help herself. What kind of fanboy named their all-powerful quirk _super power_? She wanted to break out in laughter - that really was a Midoriya-level move! Only the world's biggest fanboy, who had lived his whole life dreaming of a quirk, could come up with such a... plain name! It honestly fit him well; but more than that... it was a little cute. His innocence and joy could be felt in the simplicity of the name - because, to him, that's all it was.

A super power.

Midoriya's face turned pink. "I-I didn't have much time! Besides... it kept everyone off me, didn't it?"

As Ashido broke out into controlled giggling, Jirou looked around, evidently more confused than before. "Super Power? Am I the only one completely lost here?"

Midoriya looked at Jirou with a slight tinge of guilt, and slowly opened his mouth to respond. The laughter that had just been ringing through the air halted, and a stroke of guilt painted Mina's face, too. She had essentially brought the topic to that, after all.

"I... my quirk... I said I was a late bloomer, right?" Jirou nodded slowly. "That... wasn't true. Entirely. I... I inherited my quirk. F-from... A-All Might."

" _WHAT?!_ "

"EH?!"

"Midori!"

Three voices caused Midoriya a few sharp head turns in rapid succession. None of them overpowered each other, and they were all filled with similar emotion, but somehow, Midoriya's eyes landed on Ashido's, and for second, it was only the two of them in their own world. Green gazed into gold, fading the rest of the world out.

"Are you sure you want to... y'know, _reveal_ all that?"

It wasn't her secret; she had absolutely no say in what Midoriya said or didn't say. Technically, he didn't owe anyone a single lick of information. He hadn't betrayed anybody, nor had he really lied. From what Mina had gathered, One-For-All was a strength-enhancement quirk, which was exactly what Midoriya had registered Super Power as. He _was,_ by all metrics, a late bloomer... he just hadn't revealed that he'd been given the quirk, instead of developing it.

But more than that... Ashido technically didn't know as much as she let on. Sure, she knew the foundations of everything - she knew that One-For-All had been created _by_ All-For-One, and she also knew that All Might was the sworn predecessor of Midoriya. Beyond that, she knew tidbits of information, such as the times before All Might's reign, where All-For-One ruled the streets. She knew that it was within the destiny of whoever wielded the generational power to put an end to All-For-One's leadership. And... she knew Midoriya was up to the task.

That was it, though. She didn't _know_ about All Might's relationship with Midoriya prior to that; she didn't know how they met, how they trained, or even how the whole... quirk-transfer process worked. She was still in the dark about all of that. And, despite Jirou's assumptions, she didn't even _know_ All-For-One had been waiting for All Might - she'd just assumed he was lurking in the shadows, waiting for the inevitable showdown.

Midoriya, though, looked skeptical. For the first time since he'd arrived in Mina's room, he looked unsure of everything. Like the whole situation was a line of dominos, just waiting to fall, and subsequently explode. "No... I'm not sure... to be honest, I think that... you know, he had a point in keeping it secret. B-but... I can't hide it if all it will do is cause strife." His fists clenched and his eyes became steely.

"I won't hide it. It might have been his wishes, but... I won't help to create a divide."

"So..." Hagakure said slowly. "Are you going to explain this to everyone...? I mean, it's _a lot_ , if you know what I mean."

"I... would rather not just yet," Midoriya said hesitantly. Waves of concern emitted from his being, and honestly, it unnerved Mina. Midoriya wasn't the picture of confidence, but even now, he was unsure of... _everything._ She couldn't help but feel guilty for what she'd create.

Jirou, however, didn't hold the same reserves. "But you just said-"

"I know what I said." Midoriya said, and for a second, everyone's breaths hitched at the _sharpness_ of his voice. The green-haired boy stood firm for a second, then exhaled, and his posture came crashing down with it. "S-sorry, I didn't... it's been stressful..."

"It's... alright, I get it..." Jirou accepted after a second.

"I can't tell everyone - not yet. It's... dangerous. This power is dangerous. If word got out, people would... the stuff they'd do would be bad. Please. I can't tell everyone yet." His pleas didn't fall onto deaf ears, yet, Mina felt her heart sink further and further as she realized he was _begging_ them to keep his secret so that he wasn't... _hunted_ like an animal.

A quirk, given to him to protect the land of which he walked, and he was reduced to begging so that he wasn't hunted by the same people that he was sworn to protect. Mina's stomach churned unhappily; what kind of sick world did they live in?

"B-but... I _do_ owe you guys an explanation. So... if everyone's ready...?"

A thought popped into Ashido's head. "Oh, wait! I, uh, Kirishima... he should be here, too."

Despite his exasperation, Midoriya gave her a small smile - but a smile nonetheless - and nodded. "Can someone get him? I, uh, I'd rather not be caught in the halls and all."

Just for the moment, as Mina nodded and cheerily went to grab Kirishima, pushing down all of her fears and concerns, she felt a sense of peace within. Although things weren't exactly going the way she'd hoped, it seemed like they'd come out okay after all.

Hopefully.

* * *

 _Oh damn, things happened!_

 _As you can see, this is a rather slow-burn going between Mina and Midoriya. I think it needs time to develop - especially with everything going on. With all the timeskips, I also don't feel like it would be a good idea to jump into it. That being said, the timeskips will probably slow down now, since we've progressed a bit and the bigger plot is underway._

 _What is that plot, you might ask? Well... I can't tell you! But it has to do with the title!_

 _Anyways, sorry for my absence, I had a lot of personal stuff that was going on. I work in the Emergency Room so, from time to time, shit happens and I gotta respond as necessary. This means that I need personal time when really bad shit happens. My apologies._

 _I'm also on a time-crunch, so unfortunately, I won't be responding to reviews this chapter - BUT next chapter I will resume as prescribed, so if you have anything, drop it in that review column! Thank you so much for your support!_


	8. 8: Revelation

They'd started from the beginning.

The Sludge Villain; a mess of a man, heinous and disgusting, but minuscule in effectiveness. He was a powerful adversary for anyone but All Might, and his goals were shallow enough that there was little threat of any well-developed plot, but his role in the entire saga was inadvertently monumental. Without his kidnapping of Bakugou, there was no chance that Midoriya would have stood out to All Might that day - at least, from Midoriya's perspective.

While Ashido had doubts, she ultimately had no choice but to accept the teen's word at face-value. After all, it was _his_ story.

From there, he spoke of his time training to adapt a suitable 'vessel' for One-For-All, priming himself with intense weight and endurance exercises in order to withstand the initial acceptance of the world's greatest hero's quirk, lest he want to be disintegrated on the spot. It was concerning - and very manly, in Kirishima's words - but it made sense with why Midoriya was unable to fully utilize 100%, as he'd later divulge.

He spoke of Full Cowling; the technique that allowed him to harness the power at a sizeable scale. A paltry 5%. Terrifying, when Mina actually thought about it. At 5%, he was already showing off flashes of brilliance, and threatening to emerge at the class's top student. He wasn't even a quarter of his way to full power... and that power wasn't even his _full_ full power.

Honestly, Mina couldn't imagine that power falling into the wrong hands... let alone someone with an already powerful quirk, like Bakugou or Todoroki. It would've almost been unfair. They were already able to fight - more power would've been unnecessary icing on an already rich cake.

There were some things that Midoriya kept hidden - namely, the history between the Quirk One-For-All and villain, All-For-One. He didn't specifically delve into the reign of terror that All-For-One had once had, nor had he dipped into the predecessor history much, although he _did_ passively mention the initial holder and the creation of the quirk. All-in-all, it was a _lot_ more information than Ashido had thought necessary to disclose, but at the same time, she felt more at ease with the confusion on everyone's face.

Their suspicion had faded; at least, visibly.

"That's... a lot, man." Kirishima had remained silent throughout the most part, asking the fewest questions in total and saying the least, minus an insert here and there. His breaking of the silence was reassuring to almost everyone - if he wasn't mad, it was a positive sign. "Not saying I don't believe you... but how do I know you're, y'know, being honest?"

Midoriya rubbed the back of his head. "Well, honestly... you don't. It's... not exactly something I can prove. I know it's a lot to take... I-I was kind of in the same boat before, too. So the only way you'll know is... if you choose to believe me or not."

That was a lot to ask, and Ashido knew that. He was right; he _couldn't_ prove his tale was fact or fiction. Unless he decided to surrender his quirk to someone - which, Ashido would physically protest if it came to that - there was no technical proof he could offer. It truly came down to everyone's interpretation and own belief. If someone didn't _want_ to believe him... they simply wouldn't.

"I guess that why Bakugou is such a sour-puss to you, huh?"

While Hagakure hadn't meant it to bring up a sore topic, Midoriya didn't react as Ashido assumed he would. He didn't flip out or freak out at the mention of the explosive teen's name, but simply snorted softly and smiled. "Yeah... he wasn't really wrong about all the stuff he said. B-but... I'm making this power my own. I'll get there."

"That's true..." Jirou said quietly, mumbling to Kirishima. "Bakugou always did call him quirkless... which, would mean..."

"He's telling the truth," Kirishima finished, smiling at Midoriya.

Midoriya smiled back softly, but his face became stoic as he glanced at Ashido, before looking back at Kirishima. "I-I think you owe someone an apology."

A silence hung in the air, Ashido staring at Midoriya in surprise. Honestly, she had been expecting an apology at some point, but she hadn't considered Midoriya bringing it up. It was something she thought she'd deal with in private, and would come at an awkward time with an awkward meaning associated with it. Maybe after her two friends had time to think about what they were going to say. But to be put on the spot so suddenly?

"R-right..." Kirishima said lowly. Shame crept on his face as he scratched his head. He glanced at Ashido, and upon meeting her eyes, his gaze redirected to the floor. "I... Ashido. I'm sorry. I... wasn't thinking straight. When Bakugou was taken, all I cared about was getting him back - I wasn't even thinking. I said some pretty unmanly things and that's not cool of me. What's worse is that I kinda questioned you. Like... who was I to question your dedication?" He sighed, his voice thick with regret. "If you don't forgive me, I don't blame you. I was... really a jerk."

 _"Or else I'll never be able to look in the mirror and call myself a hero."_

That's what he'd said, wasn't it? He'd proven it, after all. He went - even after she'd verbally berated him. Despite all the risk associated with the half-baked plan, all of the ways that it could've ended badly... he still went. And even then, he'd come back alive. They all had. The most miraculous part was probably the part where they'd all come back relatively unharmed. A few scrapes, but no broken bones (she'd looked at Midoriya) and no new scars (she widened her view to include Iida and Todoroki).

Ironically, now that everything was in the open, Ashido was the one feeling a bit like a jerk. Kirishima hadn't asked for her opinion on the matter - he'd made the decision, and it was _his_ decision to bear the consequences of. Technically speaking, she had no right to tell him how he was to live his life. If he wanted to toss that life to the wolves, then that was his right. She'd moved out of line. It was only because she cared, after all, but nonetheless, she'd stepped beyond her rights.

Guilt crept onto her expression as she fumbled with her thoughts. Should she apologize as well? Or accept his apology and move on, offering hers at a later time?

"I'm sorry, too, okay?!"

Both Ashido and Kirishima blinked in surprise, as Jirou's voice broke the stalemate between the two. They glanced at her - uncertainty etched onto their faces as they studied the embarrassed expression that the earphone jack girl wore. She was refusing to look at the duo, opting to grit her teeth and took straight down. "I-I just assumed... and that was wrong! I'm... that wasn't what a hero would do. That was wrong. And... I-I was wrong."

"Jirou... Kirshima..." Ashido whispered. She bit her lip. "I'm... sorry!"

Emotion broke the dam that she'd carefully constructed, and a stray tear leaked from her eye. "I didn't think this would... y'know, happen! This whole thing has been so crazy, and I was never sure what to do... the secrets without answers - and everything happening so fast! I can't blame you guys... I should've been honest. O-or..." She gave Midoriya a quick glance. "Maybe I shouldn't have been? Maybe I should've just asked you?"

Midoriya turned slightly red. "I... I don't know. This isn't really... m-my thing."

Secrets, he meant. Ashido could clearly tell that he was uneasy. Without All Might's retirement, there wouldn't exactly have been a reason for any of this, though. It was a catalyst. The driver. Without his retirement, Jirou likely wouldn't have cornered her, but by extension, Midoriya wouldn't have felt a need to reveal anything. One-For-All was _purely_ his Quirk now. There was no changing that. All Might... was gone.

"I guess everyone's sorry, huh?" Hagakure pipped up, her cheery voice a stark contrast to the settling mood. "Now we can all move on!"

"I'm not sure it works that fast, Hagakure," Kirshima said hesitantly, though, he wore a smile as he looked between Jirou and Ashido. The two looked at each other, and the pink girl felt the need to offer up one of her infectious smiles to break down Jirou's awkwardness. She didn't count on Jirou blushing and crossing her arms, muttering something under her breath as she did so. "There's... still a lot of unfinished business."

"Aww, like what? We're all sorry, and we're all forgiven - and, we know the truth! What else is there?"

Jirou's uneasy gaze reappeared as she glanced at Midoriya, who suddenly became much more subconscious. His emerald eyes shifted delicately, betraying the fear that was dormant within them. He drew in a shaky breath, trying to smooth out his emotions, before releasing it, and out with it came obvious weight that was hanging on the poor teen's shoulders.

The truth _was_ out - Hagakure was correct. But they hadn't even discussed what the next move was. They hadn't touched on the fact that there was such an ancient war that had been waged directly under their noses, or that their very own classmate was next in line to fight in the ongoing battle. They'd blatantly ignored the fact that Midoriya had been hiding his origins from them, simply because he'd been instructed to.

There were still a few untouched topics, and even then, there were more awaiting them down the line - assuming everything went smoothly in the moment.

"Well... there's the matter of what to do now." Kirishima tried leaving the statement open, but the second the words fell from his mouth, it felt as if a large iron slab had fallen behind, blocking off the rest of the sentence. He winced, noticing Midoriya's growing unease, and tried rephrasing his statement. "Nobody... _has_ to know..."

"But don't they have that right...?" Jirou mumbled softly. "I'm not saying they do or don't... I'm just playing Devil's Advocate here."

Ashido, personally, had her mind made up about the whole thing.

As far as her opinion went, nobody else needed to know. It didn't affect them, it didn't bother them, and it certainly didn't help them in any way, shape, or form. It was unnecessary drama that could only lead to bad outcomes - the very things that All Might had been looking to avoid when he'd made Midoriya hide the truth. Even now, four people knowing outside of Midoriya… there was no doubt that it wasn't a good situation to put the young successor of One-For-All in.

"I... if I may...?" Izuku asked slowly, feeling the need to raise his hand. When Jirou's eyebrow rose and the corner of Kirishima's mouth perked, he timidly put his hand back down, feeling a rush of heat exude from his face. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to raise his hand. "I... would prefer to keep this a secret."

Neither Jirou nor Kirishima seemed surprised. "You sure, man? This kind of thing might happen again..."

"I'm sure," Midoriya said with clear conviction. "This is dangerous - not only for me, but for anyone that knows, too. The League of Villains is still out there, and they probably know the truth behind One-For-All. If that's true, then it's dangerous for you guys - and anyone else - to know about it... a-and, I can't do that."

"Do... what?" Hagakure asked.

Midoriya's hand balled into a fist at his side. "Put anyone else in danger because of me."

"Not to worry you Midoriya, but we're _all_ already kinda in danger," Ashido said lightly. Well, as lightly as she could manage. She was just happy she'd kept the waver from her voice as she spoke. "Just being part of this class has kinda done that for us. Maybe it was started with All Might, but I mean, Bakugou was their target last time - not All Might. I think we're all kind of on their radar."

"W-well, yeah, you're right. With the Sports Festival being such a... spectacle, it's kind of natural that everyone would know of U.A. and its students... b-but, I don't want to give them the reason to single anyone out."

What Midoriya said made perfect sense to Ashido - Kirishima, though, wasn't as convinced.

"What makes you think the League of Villains would know about anyone knowing?" He hesitated, eyeing the room once over. "Unless... you think there _is_ a spy?"

Immediately, everyone's postures changed. The relaxed, carefree demeanor that Ashido previously adopted was now gone, replaced by caution and concern. Her skin crawled uncomfortably as she suddenly felt as if there were eyes staring down at her, striping her of her vulnerability. She shivered unconsciously and drew her arms closer to her chest.

Subconsciously, even though she was no longer being accused of being a traitor, the memory of being accused hadn't faded, and was still fresh on her mind. She glanced at Kirishima - who was unaware of her gaze - before pulling her eyes away and locking them with Midoriya's deep jade orbs.

"I don't... know," Midoriya said finally. While it wasn't confirmation, it also wasn't a very confident stance to be adopting. If someone flimsy had made the statement, it wouldn't have carried much weight, but Midoriya - despite his personality at times - was not a flimsy person. His word carried weight. If he doubted someone, there was a very likely reason to doubt them.

Meaning, if he felt that someone might have been doing something illegal - or traitorous - then, perhaps, there was something going on after all.

"I-I'm not saying there is, or isn't," Midoriya rectified. "But... there's no denying that something happened. Somehow, the League of Villains knew our location, even though it was supposedly confidential."

"But it was only confidential to the teaching staff, right?" Hagakure pondered aloud. "Wouldn't that make it one of them?"

It was a good point, Ashido admitted to herself. With the process of elimination, the traitor - assuming there was one - would have to be someone who initially knew of the location change. That information had been limited to the teachers initially. Everyone else only knew of their location once the bus had all but dropped them off at that cliff.

But then again... it had been a bit before the villain's attacked. Long enough that a student could have relayed the new location to the villain's hideout. They hadn't been told explicitly to leave their phones and electronic devices behind, though it had been heavily alluded that any usage of them would result in a stiff punishment. For a traitor, though, that meant nothing. But when would they have the time to use a communication device...? The classes were kept together - and it was almost impossible to find a moment to slip away without _someone_ noticing. With the classes mixed for the most part, there had been double eyes on everyone. And Aizawa was nearly impossible to escape from.

"We don't know which teachers knew, and which didn't," Jirou pointed out slowly. Her earlobes twitched uncomfortably; no doubt she was keeping a _very_ close eye on the surrounding sounds.

Kirishima hummed quietly. "Trying to guess which of our teachers would do it is almost impossible - they're all professional heroes! Why would they even want to sell out their friends?"

"Maybe... they're not all friends. I mean... we don't really know how they are outside of class, do we?" Still being naked, Hagakure's shuffling in place caused a few short, uncomfortable glances. She paid it no heed as she continued bouncing in place, trying to vent the nerves that were creeping up on her.

Midoriya, a finger to his chin, slowly shook his head. "I don't know about that. I pay pretty close attention to the news, and heroics... they've all been in the business for awhile. All Might is the only teacher who is anything near new. To suddenly change ideals like that... it doesn't sound plausible. There would have be something drastic to cause that sort of change."

"Drastic..." Ashido echoed softly. What kind of event could turn someone who'd sworn to protect the people, against the vow they'd made? Most highly-ranked heroes didn't do families, it was simply too dangerous. With threats awaiting heroes at every stop, having a family waiting at home was more like a target.

There was also a time-crunch in the life of a hero; the time spent at home was almost nothing compared to the time spent at the Headquarters, or on the street. Then there were marketing campaigns to keep the cash flowing. Being a hero was a hectic lifestyle that didn't suit those looking to settle down for a nice quiet life.

Some heroes managed it. Most commonly, heroes on the tail-end of their career would begin looking for a partner, which commonly resulted in another hero. They'd spend the last bit of their career establishing a team-connection, mostly to avoid becoming irrelevant amongst the tides of the new generation, but it would also mount into something a little more. Otherwise, when it came to romance, it was built in the bedsheets, over the course of one night, only to be abandon in the morning. Those that loved, often lost.

The business was a beast, and the beast was untamable.

As far as Ashido knew, none of the U.A. staff had families waiting for them at home. Most of them were single, if not married to their job. For teachers like Present Mic, who worked both at U.A., did patrols, and also hosted his own radio show, it was more than impossible to see him settle down. Midnight was another prime example; she ran her own perfume company, doubled as a pro hero, and taught at U.A. as well. They had no families to speak of, did very well for themselves financially, and appeared fairly strong-willed - to sell out their ideals...

Mina gulped.

It would either have to be something extremely life-changing, or someone so insanely powerful, they were unmatched in combat.

All-For-One and All Might were the two strongest fighters she'd ever seen, though. To be stronger than that... she shivered again. It would be impossible. Unimaginable. They'd have to inherit One-For-All.

Her gaze slipped over to Midoriya. Would he be stronger than All Might one day? Wasn't that how he explained One-For-All? It stockpiled power; therefore, one day, he'd be able to do everything All Might could do, and more. Against her will, her eyes slid down to his biceps, which were uncovered by Midoriya's t-shirt. There were scars that adored them, and that, frankly, scared her. He'd already suffered several grievous wounds, and they hadn't even finished their first year. How many more injuries would he sustain? How many more _could_ he sustain?

"So then it would have to be a student." Ashido blinked, tearing her eyes away from Midoriya, shame creeping on her face. A blush heated up her face, for a moment, she was terrified everyone was starkly aware of her staring. But, as her vision swept across the room, she sighed in relief; everyone was too wrapped up with their paranoia. Kirishima, specifically, was focused entirely on Midoriya. "Specifically, someone in Class 1-A or 1-B."

Midoriya shook his head again, but before he could speak, Jirou snorted, and spoke. "That's narrow-minded; we don't know if there's someone in another class, hiding with some sort of observation Quirk. Hell, if I tried hard enough, I could hear quite a bit of the stuff going on in this dorm alone. Positioned right, I could easily invade the privacy of the Faculty Lounge."

There was a resounding silence as Jirou's words sank in. For a moment, the punk-rock girl had a somewhat smug look; but as soon as her words seemed to settle in, her face morphed into a scowl. "Don't you _dare_ think I have anything to do with this!"

"Didn't stop you from assuming _I_ did..." Ashido said without thinking.

Jirou whirled on her, a look of both anger and - _betrayal?_ \- written on her face. Her jaw was clenched; a sure sign of her rising defenses. " _That's_ different," she said icily. "You were acting suspicious. Don't even deny it."

The Acid-user bristled, her body language reflecting the inner frustration she housed. The earlier slight she'd felt when she'd been accused of selling out her friends hadn't yet faded - it had simply faded into the background. However, this topic had brought it right back to the front, and now, she had a source to vent it.

"Oh, _please_. Like that wasn't suspicious at all!"

"Why would I out myself?! That makes NO sense!"

"None of this makes sense! Why would you suddenly think that _this_ does?!" Mina shot back.

Jirou opened her mouth to respond, but she was cut off by Mina's sudden tirade. " _None_ of this makes sense, and we almost died _again_! All the while, my closest friends decide to turn on me and question my loyalty to our school and our _dream_! So yeah, maybe I am a bit pissed, and maybe nothing makes sense, but that's not really up for us to decide!"

Nothing more was said.

Ashido's breaths came out in heavy, long gasps, her posture rigid, but defensive. Her eyes were stony, set directly on Jirou, who simply stared back at her with a guilty, slightly scared gaze. A lone bead of sweat worked its way down the pink girl's brow, and as she drew in one more deep breath, she realized that maybe she'd been lying earlier when she'd said it was alright.

A pang of embarrassment swept through her appearance as she drew back into herself, averting her eyes from her fellow students. "Sorry... guess I wasn't as okay as I thought."

"N-no, no..." Jirou said with a reluctant sigh. "You're right. We're all getting worked up over something that may or may not be true, and... you're right. Questioning loyalties won't get us anywhere." If there'd been a rock - or at least something - to kick, Ashido could've seen Jirou giving it a light kick right about now. Instead, the punk rocker had to settle for idly jabbing her toes into the floor, muttering lightly as she did so.

To his credit, Kirishima had kept a pretty good poker faced during the exchange, opting to show his frustration only in a deep frown. Without a way to see Hagakure, there was no telling the face she made - but, quite frankly, Ashido's focus wasn't on either of them, or even Jirou anymore. It was centered on Midoriya, and the exhausted look he'd adopted at some point.

It was as if the weight on his shoulders had finally pushed him to his knees; slight bags formed under his eyes, and the luster his vibrant green eyes typically had was dulled. He didn't look lifeless - he wasn't _that_ tired. But he definitely lacked the spark that he'd been known for, and for a mere second, it worried Ashido.

For a moment, it looked like the weight of his heavy destiny had finally set in, and he had aged ten years right in front of her.

"Midoriya…?"

He drew in a heavy breath, further made uncomfortable by the sudden attention thrust onto him. A twitch of his nose, a comb-through of his hair with his scarred hand, but no obvious sign that he'd cracked under the weight. Another fact that quietly worried Ashido.

His eyes met hers, and for a second, they were lost in their own world. It was far from romantic; no, it was a connection they had, feeling the despair that had loomed over their heads since All Might's fight. Even though Midoriya had succeeded in his mission to retrieve Bakugou and right his wrongs... he'd lost something just as big that day. And it was difficult to say whether or not the young teenager assumed that guilt, amongst the rest of the weight he'd taken on when All Might fell.

"Are you okay?"

Part of her wanted to wince and curse at the question she'd thrown on him. How the hell was he supposed to answer that?! His mentor was a step away from death, his friends were at each other's neck, he was desperately trying to figure out how to control his insanely powerful Quirk, and all the while, guilt and failure was piling up on his shoulders.

How was anyone supposed to feel okay after all of that?

Just the mere fact that he hesitated spoke volumes about his mental state, even though he tried to cover it up with a shaky smile and a weak snort. "Yeah; I'm... okay. It's... there's a lot going on, isn't there?" Nobody answered; it was a rhetorical question that didn't have a correct answer. "I-I know that things are a bit odd. But, I don't know if second-guessing everyone is going to solve anything."

"Right, yeah," Kirishima mumbled. It was plainly evident that he wasn't pleased, but he could also see the toll the conversation was taking on everyone.

"I think... we should just get some rest. Maybe, think about it later?"

There was no flurry of movement - in fact, nobody moved. It was as if everyone was petrified; stuck to the spot they stood. Nobody looked at anyone else. Eyes remained diverted elsewhere; some to the ground, some to the roof, and some to the wall. The only sound that could be heard was the silent breathing of everyone, deep in thought about the next move.

It was probably Hagakure that moved first, but there was gap between an audible click of the door opening and when Ashido actually looked up when she noticed that everyone was gone - except for Midoriya.

He probably didn't even realize that he was the only one left, she realized. It was clear that he was deep in thought; his lips were moving ever so slightly, and his eyes were clouded over as he was lost in the landscape of his own brain. Part of Ashido's mind immediately wanted to tease the poor boy - it was her default reaction, and if anything, it would restore a sense of normalcy. For as long as that lasted, anyways. Which, she suspected would be barely any time at all.

The other half of her brain - recognizing the signs of stress on the teen - wanted to comfort him. Maybe envelop him in a hug, holding him close so the lurking dangers couldn't get to him. But she knew that wouldn't work. Even if he didn't wriggle free from her grasp, there was no protecting him from the days that loomed over his head like a terribly made prophecy.

Truthfully, Ashido didn't believe in destiny or fate, or anything like that. It seemed too... controlling. She hated the idea that there was pre-written script for her life; that no matter what she did, she'd end up the same way, in the same place. It almost felt pointless to do anything, if that were true. Why learn to dance if she was destined to be a hero? Why talk to any boys if she were fated to marry someone? It took the fun out of spontaneity - and although she wouldn't know her destiny or fate, she acknowledged that at the end of the day, it just felt wrong to her.

Once, she'd spoken with Tokoyami about it, since he had a firm believer in the destined path. It had been enlightening, if not a little depressing. His view radically polarized her own - which didn't bother her - but they reaffirmed her belief and hopes.

Assuming she was wrong, though, and there _was_ a grand destiny to fulfill... she knew Izuku's couldn't be good.

Sure, maybe he would win in his fight, and sure, _maybe_ everything turned out okay... but she didn't like that he _had_ to fight. She hated that he had no choice. It worried her, yes, but more than that, it made her heart ache that he'd never really be able to live the way that she did, or the way any of Class 1-A lived. They were all training to be heroes, and they all had the responsibility riding on their back, but none of them were destined for a fight the way he was.

They were still free of that mind-breaking responsibility of living up to someone specifically. They were all going to be compared to All Might- every single hero was. But he was going to be seen _as_ All Might. He would have to _be_ All Might.

What kind of destiny was that...?

"Midoriya, I..."

She what?

Was she sorry? What did she have to be sorry for? She couldn't apologize for anything in his life, because that would be selfish to assume that she was in control of those things. It wouldn't make him feel any better - in fact, it might just make him feel worse.

She released a breath she'd drawn in. "I want you to know I'm here."

He looked up suddenly, as if surprised by her words. She was, too, in all honesty.

"H-huh?"

"This... whole thing you have going on. I get that it's, y'know, confusing. And hard. And frankly..." She snorted, though it lacked amusement. "It's all a little screwed up. Shit's kinda getting bad now, isn't it? But like, I'm here for you." She meant it, too. It came from the heart - the amount of thought she'd put into her words was a staggering zero, but somehow, they felt right.

"And if you need me, I'll always be here for you."

Midoriya simply stared at her, wide-eyed and unreadable. There were a few emotions that flashed within his eyes - confusion, concern, appreciation - but reading them all was impossible. His were like kaleidoscopes; every twist and turn brought a new image, with new colors. He was never going to be a good liar, she reflected. He could avoid the whole truth, but if one looked close enough, they'd see the guilt and pain he felt when he lied. They'd see the joy and jubilation he felt with the most minor of successes.

They'd see the very thing that was Midoriya Izuku.

"Ashido… I-I..."

She cut him off, smiling widely and sincerely. "Hey now, it's bedtime! We can talk about this more in the morning, okay? We have a busy day ahead of us; I doubt Mr. Aizawa is going to go easy on us just 'cause of everything that happened!" Her eyes suddenly twinkled as she narrowed her gaze at him with a smirk. "Unless you're looking to join the honorary 'Slacker's Club'?"

"W-what, no, I... you're right!" He exclaimed, balling his hands into fists. The energy he emitted died down for a moment as he gazed at her, before he offered her a wide, toothy smile. "Thanks, Ashido."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said, ushering the boy from her room with gentle shoves. He protested weakly, suddenly overwhelmed by the contact, but she paid him no need. "Rest first, thank later! Night Izuku!"

Not realizing her choice of name, she caught half of a 'goodnight!' from him, before she closed the door in a haste, pressing her back to the surface. Slowly, she slid down the door, her face breaking out into a massive blush. The way her heart was racing, she was sure it would take off right out of her chest. She clasped a hand over her heart, trying to catch her breath, before cursing.

Somehow, in a night of accusations, explanations, and wild theories, she'd only realized one single thing:

She had begun to fall for Midoriya Izuku.

* * *

 **A few people have asked me if I plan to start a , and that answer is: no. I don't update regularly enough to do something like that. But I do have a request. I joined a Podcast team a year back, and I've been putting out videos about gaming; if you want to show a bit of support for me, I invite you to like the page.**

 **We're on Facebook: ThatGameShow, and we're also on Twitter That_GameShow. Additionally, you guessed it, our YouTube is ThatGameShow.**

 **I know you're thinking: wow, shameless plug much? But it's something I love doing, and I want to keep on doing. There's ZERO money involved, it's just a way to help me out a bit. I'd appreciate you guys so much!**

 **Anyways, onto the chapter. This was a busy, hectic chapter, and a LOT happened. You might have some questions and that's natural. But I won't answer them because I suck. Haha.**

 **Responses:**

 _shadefeuer: Thanks!_

 _TruWarrior: Yeahhhh, I feel bad that I disappeared again. But that'll happen. But I'm glad you enjoyed everything! The divergence really starts here; like, it'll get pretty wild moving forward._

 _Firedon: Jirou is someone who I see as a no-nonsense person. I see her as a bit shy when it comes to actually calling someone out, but I also see her as the most likely to do it. Hagakure, on the other hand, would probably be the most observant person, and I think her invention would also make sense. Plus, she IS suspicious. This chapter is the introduction to the title. Kind of like how Civil War was the breaking of the Avengers, this is the possible break or unity of the heroic community._

 _BOW-B-4-ME: I hope this settled some questions; I have no intention of everyone finding out about One-For-All... yet? Or maybe at all? The fact of the matter is that you're right; a Quirk is just a Quirk. But secrets can tear things apart, and while I think everyone would be supportive if he TOLD them, that's not exactly happening here. Still, this story will be the exploration of the division/unification of the heroic community, as it stands to secrets._

 _Greer123: Much appreciated, and I hope you are well, as well!_

 _avidreaded: Well, damn. Here's another big reveal lol_

 _jlee0799: Well, people were hurt - Midoriya is the kind of person who would see that as his fault, even if it wasn't. Even though it isn't. It's HIS existence that is causing this divide between his friends, so naturally, he'd want to repair that. He's selfless like that._

 _Mr. Enlightment: You've caught on! This chapter begins that title that we've been waiting to see! I'm sorry for being away, it shouldn't happen again, I don't think._

 _Thegr8tn8t: I'm pleased to hear! Thank you!_

 _NekoBoi: I hope you're doing well, too! Thank you!_

 _sonic: Thank you!_

 _Midnight Angels Say GoodNight: Let's be real; could we really see Midoriya holding onto his secret if his friends were fighting each other? Haha. He's exactly that - selfless. I fully believe he'd throw it away in the face of this sort of calamity._

 _Whitetiger789: Thank you!_

 _HankFlamion18: Oh, I plan to! This is my favorite story to write, actually. I plan on updating this one the most, in all honesty._

 _Red Riot: Riiiiiiight… now!_

 _Garbouw Deark: QuirkedQuartz has an unbelievable story, and to copy that would be insulting haha. I definitely love reading it, but we're two different people and I'm glad we can write different, because it gives you guys two different ways to read!_


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